ANESTHESIOLOGIST


Came to see what all the abuse was about, two gardeners
___sitting--the table extends
beyond the break wall--holding rackets
___drawn with Majik Marker,
eyes that don't really blink so much as grin, the dead day,
___a motionless but soggy root ball resting
before the changeless cardboard faces, you know
___you'd rather just stay in the tavern, look out
at all the blue water playing connect-the-dot with the buoys,
___it's Fourth of July in boat country. No bullshit.
Here comes Veronica's vegetarian ex, here comes
___the mosquito-infested dusk, here comes the doctor's
Right-hand man, a raccoon with an oxygen mask
___looking down--one-hundred fifty-three, one-hundred fifty-two,
one-hundred twenty-seven. Thirteen. The olive in my drink sinks
___for a second when I tap it.