blood and coca cola

-
a nurse offers us: water, apple juice, orange juice
the old woman says: what about
coca cola

she is thin
sandy hair and
sandy skirt

the nurse smiles like
the woman has made a joke

the woman smiles back
but isn’t joking

she takes a sip from a styrofoam cup
tells us she brought her own
announces it to the waiting room
(but nobody gives a shit)

the nurse comes back in with the drinks--
but no
coca cola

the woman is irritated
bc she’s here to give
blood
and: why can’t she have a
coca cola?

she’s sitting in front of a window
in front of a pool
in front of a bar

i bet she could get a
coca cola
out there
but it wouldn’t be free

she’d have to order
pay
tip the girl in the yellow bikini
who must have to wear an awful lot of
sunscreen
to work

or maybe--
and trust me, you’ll love the imagery here--
the waiter who looks like summertime santa
white beard and jolly belly and all
will bring her a free
coca cola
and she’ll feel like a
kid on xmas again

before they take her
blood

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