Poetry Corner: “the Visit”

The Visit

a Mercedes drives up
a sleek well dressed man emerges from within
he treads into the facility feeling so fine with his charitable actions
and his shiny Hugo Boss shoes
he visits once a year

at reception he is told his father is not yet Prepared
and would he kindly wait a minute
he sits and gapes at the urinated soaked residents
slumped in drugged stupors
some strapped in chairs like dangerous animals
that dear old Dad was in much better shape
but sonny boy had been so busy at the clothing plant
he had again forgotten about dear pops

A nurse gestures as it is time to see him
into dad’s room they venture
to guiltily stare at the living vegetable
with the killing cognitive failure creeping
astonished at dear old dad’s decline he laughs
couldn’t they pull out his tubes or something?
after all he’s shelling out $2,400 a month
and his little Ronnie wants a Corvette
dad senses his concerned son
and beckons him over
and whispers in his ear “you selfish bastard”
and promptly expires

The Mercedes pulls away
stopping at his travel agency
for the trip to Paris
the family had always wanted
but could never afford
because of that expense that no longer need be incurred