Alone in the ER by Rob Greene

Alone in the ER

Hooked to the electrolyte bag,
the cold IV drip shivers and shakes my shanks
under the stiff sheets,
salmon-colored upchuck tub at my side,
pain scaling up to an 8.5.
Dozing in and out of the room like I normally do,
I briefly focus in on an expecting mother
nervously holding a urine cup. My eyelids fold
then open to her empty chair. I feel
the breeze from the toilet flushing,
shiver some more, and wonder
which bridge my own mother sleeps under.

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Rob Greene is the founder of Raleigh Review and a father of four. He received his PhD from the University of Birmingham in England and his BSc in microbiology and his MFA from NC State University, where he taught as a graduate student. Rob Greene also previously taught at Louisburg College and SAU.