Thomas W Case

4 North

It\'s One a.m. in the psych ward.
Let\'s just call it 4 North.
On the table that I\'m writing at is a plant,
it looks to be a member of the cactus family.
Three nurses sit behind a glass booth
and watch me with curiosity.
One of them looks to be a member of the
cactus family—or is it cacti?
Either way, I don\'t want her close to me.
Just now, one of the cacti-looking nurses says,
\"What are you writing? \"
I say, \"My escape plan,\" without looking up.
She says,
\"Very interesting.\"
That\'s one thing I\'ve noticed in the
psych ward, everything is very interesting.
Just once, I wish they would say,
\"That is the most boring load of
shit I\'ve ever heard.\"
Then, maybe I\'d be less inclined
to think they resemble members of the plant life.