At A Bank Of Elevators Poem by Donal Mahoney

Reunions can happen
and leave you speechless.
I'm standing at a bank

of elevators in a hospital
going to visit my wife
when a wheelchair rolls up

carrying my internist
from years ago.
An excellent doctor

who retired to teach,
according to rumors.
Now he's pushed by a woman

I assume is his wife.
She looks sad
and he looks worse.

He asks how I'm doing
and I say not bad.
I ask how he's doing

and he says he's dying.
And adds that he hopes
I never have to.

He says he never realized
despite his patients
dying could be so hard.