Yiska ran her finger
down the windowpane.
Outside snow drifted
in large flakes.
She lit a cigarette
and blew smoke
at the pane.
I moved beside her
and watched
the falling snow.
"I want to be out there
not stuck in here
in this madhouse"
she said.
She took my hand in hers
and squeezed it.
"You are the only
element of sanity
in this hole"
she added.
"We are both stuck here
with other broken minds"
I said.
She squeezed
my hand tighter.
A plump nurse
walked past
behind us
like a young hippo.
I saw her reflection
in the windowpane.
"Remember that night
in the ECT room ?"
she said.
"Yes and the night nurse
found you
while I hid under
the recovery bed."
She smiled.
The hippo nurse
came up to us
and said
"Have you had
your medication
yet Yiska?"
Yiska turned
to face the nurse.
"Yes the skinny nurse
gave it to me"
Yiska said.
The nurse walked away
up the locked ward.
"Did she?"
I said.
"She did
but I threw them
down the toilet"
she said
and released
my hand.
I lit a cigarette
and stared out
at the snow
and our promised land.
May 10, 2018
May 10, 2018 at 5:25 PM UTC
Yiska ran her finger
down the windowpane.
Outside snow drifted
in large flakes.
She lit a cigarette
and blew smoke
at the pane.
I moved beside her
and watched
the falling snow.
"I want to be out there
not stuck in here
in this madhouse"
she said.
She took my hand in hers
and squeezed it.
"You are the only
element of sanity
in this hole"
she added.
"We are both stuck here
with other broken minds"
I said.
She squeezed
my hand tighter.
A plump nurse
walked past
behind us
like a young hippo.
I saw her reflection
in the windowpane.
"Remember that night
in the ECT room ?"
she said.
"Yes and the night nurse
found you
while I hid under
the recovery bed."
She smiled.
The hippo nurse
came up to us
and said
"Have you had
your medication
yet Yiska?"
Yiska turned
to face the nurse.
"Yes the skinny nurse
gave it to me"
Yiska said.
The nurse walked away
up the locked ward.
"Did she?"
I said.
"She did
but I threw them
down the toilet"
she said
and released
my hand.
I lit a cigarette
and stared out
at the snow
and our promised land.
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