Poetry About Emergency Department

Fluorescent light erases the hour from faces. A nurse asks where the pain begins and ends. Behind one curtain, a monitor keeps counting. Coffee cools beside an unfinished chart. No one arrives here on an ordinary night. Care moves quickly while kindness slows the fear.

Look again from the quieter edge. A nurse asks where the pain begins and ends. A smaller detail changes the whole scene. Coffee cools beside an unfinished chart. Attention loosens the first easy answer. Care moves quickly while kindness slows the fear.

Fluorescent light erases the hour from faces. Hours pass, but the image does not leave. Behind one curtain, a monitor keeps counting. It returns us to triage, pain, waiting, urgency, medical care, exhaustion, and compassion under fluorescent light. No one arrives here on an ordinary night. The day continues with a more attentive heart.