Boston Children's Hospital

The city spread out below our tenth floor room
the heavy hum of the elevator as the floor
and my knees drop out from under me
the bustle of people moving fast
no words and no smiles
the concrete enclosed smoking area
dark even in daylight
where ambulances come screaming in
and the security guards stand a lonely vigil
bright walls and bright rooms
flowers and balloons
adding to the complete unreality of this place
the sweet sad smiles of the children
the parents faces a mix of desperation and exhaustion
pain despair anger frustration hope
click whir ding slam
silence
waiting waiting waiting
too much time to think
08/20/2001
I wrote this when my daughter Amber had to be treated for 4 days at Boston Children's Hospital in the summer of 2001 for 2nd stage lyme disease.