Yes, the doctor's in
and he'll be with you shortly
in a few moments—

no, make that an hour
or two, as it's a busy
day filled with patients

impatiently waiting
for their turn to be given
a diagnosis

and prescription. In
the meantime, flip through a stack
of Time magazines

almost a decade
old, or browse through a sheaf of new
pharmaceutical

brochures, if in case
you need to cure your boredom.
Avoid sitting next

to someone wheezing,
coughing, or appears to be
contagious: this room

poses a hazard
to your health. Look up the wall
clock ticking its round

of minutes, each now
lost here in the interim.
Pray if you have to.

Instead of a short,
simple medical visit,
you'll have to contend

with being in this
limbo, a drab reminder
of how the body

fails unfailingly
and must survive the tedium
of waiting, all for

the bitter taste of
pills, side effects, the prospect
of yet another visit.

---

Rodrigo V. Dela Peña, Jr. is a poet in the Philippines. His poem "Letras y Figuras" won first prize in the 2009 Meritage Press Holiday Poetry Contest.