Room for one more

on night shifts I run blood

samples from the 2nd floor Cardiac unit

to the lab in the basement

one night waiting on 2 for the elevator I watched

its 3 lit long enough as if called I heard its doors open

and close but it opened empty on 2 as I stepped in

the next night as I waited cradling patient blood vials

the elevator stopped opened and closed on 3 and

on 2 opened empty or with nobody I could see

this multo mischief went on all month

I took to the stairs a longer dimly lit walk down

cinderblock halls hearing more than one pair of feet

I asked the Charge if I could send the samples by tube

(the hospital’s pneumatic courier system)

but glass is too fragile

I hurt my back no more stairs back into the elevator

just me and who or what from 3

in a big tube sucked down through the walls

as liable to smash as a blood vial crimsoning

the insides of the hospital walls dank with iron stink

dripping rot and clot and shadows like all our tubes do

so every night the walls suck the elevator up and down

and to let me and who knows what else in

the lift still just stops like any heart will