An old man called Carl has passed out
on TV. The high street is gasping
and the background music feels sad.
Luckily the woman pretending to be a nurse
has learned her script and confirms he’s breathing.
She’s upset when she gets home so eats steak
and drinks wine and does her best to small talk
with a colleague who’s just moved to town.
They have a lot in common. They run away
their problems and can’t stand the admin side
of their jobs. The night is warm, so they stay outside
under countryside stars in comfortable silence.
Tomorrow the old man will die
and the nurse will not have time to be upset
because her boyfriend has started drinking again.

© Carl Burkitt 2022