the screen illuminates
I see who’s calling
and immediately know
something is wrong
he never phones, always her
so, something is definitely wrong
four words seep from the ether
and hang in the air, like Tantalus
others quickly expire
and meekly fade to white noise
sister, collapse, hospital, heart
something must be seriously wrong,
he is old and cannot handle this
his words babble and gurgle
a bathtub emptying too quickly
shopping, pain, paramedics, aorta, urgent,
a succinct telegram of despair,
and like expectant fathers, we
rush to the waiting room,
we sit and wait and wait and wait and wait
something surely must be wrong
*
© Graham R Sherwood 10/21
grahamrichardsherwood.co.uk 