The Enemy Lodged In The Brain No Reinforcements Possible Poem by Charles Chaim Wax

When a man
tries to do away with himself
well,
you gotta make a visit
to the hospital
even if
that’s not a pleasant journey
so we went
made inquiries
and a Dr. Root
said he was the resident shrink
in charge of such sad cases
and who also said
he went to school with me
although
I hadn’t the slightest
memory of the man
anyway
we took the elevator to the third floor
followed Dr. Root as he turned left
prancing jauntily down the corridor
until he opened a door
leading into a large room
musta been twenty souls inside.
“Bed number 8, Cole.”
When we saw him
his eyes were closed.
“Dead? ” said Melvin Strub.
“Sedated, ” said Dr. Root.
“Why’s his hands tied up? ” asked Strub.
“For his own protection.”
Strub glanced at the next bed
where an old man
also had his hands bound.
“Is everybody tied up? ” I asked.
“For their own protection.”
“Guy looks 90.”
“Not really, ” said Dr. Root, “84.”
“He tried to kill himself? ’
“The elderly have a high rate of suicide.”
“Let’s go, ” said Strub. “Cole’s sleeping.”
“Nurse, ” called Root, “ice cubes.”
A minute later the nurse
brought over a bowl of tiny ice cubes
and the good doctor
shoved one into Cole’s ear
and his eyes fluttered open.
“How you doing? ” I asked.
It was then I noticed
the bandage on Cole’s throat.
“He will not be able
to answer you, ” said Root pointing to his throat.
“How’s he gonna tell us why he tried it? ” asked Strub.
A nurse came over
and told Dr. Root he was needed in Suicide Ward 4.
“How many Suicide Wards you got here, doctor? ” asked Strub.
“Ward 3
Indigent Suicides
those with no visible means of support
and no medical insurance
Ward 4
suicides with medical insurance
Ward 5
suicides who wish private rooms
well, not the patient
but the family
stay as long as you want, Bernstein
but when you’re ready
to leave, let me know
so we can talk about old times
and what times they were!
Remember Denby Kenna? ”
“Who could ever forget Kenna! ”
“Could pick his nose
with two fingers
up the nostril at the same time
and what about Ella Fair.”
“Hard to forget her.”
“I never told you
but I had a crush on her
once showed me her wee-wee.”
“I never knew that.”
“I wanted to tell you
but I gave my word.”
“You were always a man to keep his word.”
“Dr. Root, ” said the nurse, “you’re needed.”
He vigorously shook my hand, then left.
As soon as he was gone
I said, “The man’s got
a fantastic memory
I remember nothing.”
“You said
you recollected
all them kids, ” said Strub.
“I lied.
to give the guy
a bit of joy
cause being with such misery...”
Strub mumbled,
“Gotta be cuckoo
living
with the half-dead
almost dead
soon to be dead.”