PM

Tonight I left my patient on the
third floor and it took three tries to
make it outside
once
to say goodbye to him
twice
when his elderly parents, bereft and
searching
found me at the nursing station how
could I say no cups of tea, first names only and
many tissues later the
third time when
his sister called
do you think he'll go to heaven still if we
burn the body that one
took more than a minute so
two hours off my pace I had bag
keys in hand cell phone on and
dialing pushed out the
double doors into a thick evening fog and
there
waiting for me
like a surprise visit from a long-distance lover
the crescent moon and
her two planets
I stopped and all stopped and
out loud I spoke to
whom I cannot say
Thank you.