slovenly intravenous
steroids, saline
the spinal tap made
my blood pressure too small
so they tip me back
make me scalene
pump it all in at 10 drips a minute
i counted patiently
held onto the doctor’s hand
as he told me what they had found
in my brain this holiday weekend
some poor sap in north carolina
gets called in to spot lesions on an m.r.i.
then goes home and coils up
i don’t go home for five days
and when i do i can barely stand up
i don’t want to tell anyone anything
but i have no other excuse
for disappearing