Kelley White
Unemployed

this Dad's at the school clinic,
he's going blind in one eye, (falling window,
broken glass,) and he's lost his job,
his daughter's just been with him
for a week, (her mother's 'indulging,'
if-you-know-what-I-mean,) and he doesn't
know much about her health, except she's had
no shots, (the little girl,  she's
in kindergarten,) and he's lost
his insurance, and he's lost
his doctor, so I see the girl for free,
(I see them all for free,)

and this has stopped
being a poem, she takes her shots quiet,
but there's this lump beside her breastbone,
(there's a supraclavicular node,
there's cervical, submental, axillary,
and damn damn damn damn damn inguinal)
I send some blood work, hope it's TB
or something I haven't guessed at, treatable,
say, come see me at my regular office
next week, (maybe they'll be smaller,) maybe
I can find you a doctor (for adults,) look
into your sight

image
With apologies to Jan Vermeer