Theme 1a	     
		      One thing about hospitals, thinking's suspended
		      they're a holiday from being in charge

		      Package flight, like summer camp or Club Med
		      someone else structures your time

		      They take your temp'rature
		      and don't give it back

			who needs to know?

Theme 1b	       
		      A nurse comes in for your blood pressure
		     why isn't your machine working?     she asks

			not your problem

Bridge		      
		      She goes away     time for your walk      now
		      unhook your nose-tube

Theme 2a	      
		      Trundle down the corridor, the corridor
		      See how expertly you keep the IV pole beside you
		      never missing a drop
		      never missing a drop
		      never missing a drop drop drop drop drop drop

Theme 3a	      
		      Past the lounge and its blue screen
		      flickering like a moon, like a moon
		      over dull stares, flabby legs

			not your problem

Theme 2b	     
		     You and your IV pole roll pa-ast them, superior
		     clanging like a streetcar be-ee-tween stops

Theme 1c	      
		      Back in your room you rehook    to your vacuum pump
		      gamely manage to your tooth-brush left-handed

Theme 4	      
		      The floor cleaner with her mop: bad today, she says
		      it going rain bad, pushing her words along the floor

		     Yes, you say to be polite -
		     outside rain is like some distant foreign news

			who needs to know?

Theme 5	      
		      Nurse to take your pulse, volunteers with more books,
		      consent forms to sign, television rental, next week's menu

		      Porter with a wheelchair 

Theme 2c	      
		     Wheelchair past the lunch trays, the lunch trays
		     down to X-ray, nauseous unhooked
		     nauseous with your no-ose tube, your no-ose tube
		     nauseous with your no-ose-tube unhooked

Theme 1d	     
		     You throw up discreetly in a crescent-moon tray
		     visitors in the elevator staring at you

		     Four o'clock, 

		     dinner trays won't clatter by till five
		     you have an hour to yourself 
		     (hope for no turbulence)

Theme 3b			
				Propped up on pillows with your book 
				you glance out the window at the civilians,
				civilians with no IV - in the street below
				How do they know where they're going?

Theme 1e			
				You lean back, oddly comforted
				[---]

Theme 3c			
				Passengers strapped into their seats
				still on the tarmac waiting, waiting -
				the unexplained delay, unexplained
				someone else's worry

Theme 6				
					[---]
					[---]
					Package complete, the moon slivers seawards
					sun-tanned heads nod off

Theme 1f	      
		     Some type of wing fracture, 
		     carcinoma, the announcement is vague, is vague
		     passengers needn't know exactly
		     there will be repairs

Theme 3d	      
		      There will be some repairs
		      passengers in their seats, some repairs,
		      announcement is vague, some repairs

			not their problem
			not your problem
			not my problem
					no