Photo by Christopher Raley

Ambulance

Street lights shine water on dark streets
and the windshield is cast in red.
Rain runs in thin waves down ambulance doors.
It also waits at the light because
two paramedics are going out for coffee.

Four floors up under the helicopter pad
the old man’s mouth draws tight over gums
and breathing sounds like a pump.
His chest wrangles air. It was only ten minutes ago
I held his fevered hand and prayed for death

while downstairs two paramedics yawned and one said,
It’ll be a miracle if we make it through this shift.
Zipping up red coats, they ducked their heads
against the rain and ran out into the night.