SHE GREETED ME

by Joanna Gilman Hyde

The Hawk Queen Bed 4:25am

She greeted Me in ruffled satin

lavender and sleeveless

as She signed Her Self out

so We could sit outside

looking at the harbour

with tea and coffee

and the blue sky

where a flock of geese flew in V formation —

She pointed to where She had been injected

on Her Hip

for a thirty-day stint

of a medication She could not pronounce

and mentioned how The Head Psychiatrist

had called Her Name

and asked Her if She had worked

on a puzzle today —

back inside

She ate pink salmon and dill

for supper

and pointed to Her Self-cut Hair-do

Her Raven Hair

to say the fish was good

for Her Brain —

an oral dose of Seroquel

was brought to Her at the table

and My Beautiful Friend

choked it down

while The Nurse said

“It’s Your After Dinner

Mint.”