the Sibley Emergency Room

i awaken from

a turkey coma in the emergency room

at Sibley

Hospital.

someone is pushing on my

chest

and scraping the dried

cranberry sauce

off my chin.

there's a tube

in me,

gurgling up fat, and

there's a needle in my arm

shooting fluids

into my body

to reduce the inflammation

from salt

and butter, gravy

and pumpkin pie.

give it to me straight, i ask

the nurse who's

putting ice on my brow,

am i going to make it?

be truthful,

we'll see she says, we'll,

see, but for

now, get some rest and don't

eat anything else

for three days.

now roll over on your back,

we've got one more

thing to do.