Uncertain Farewells
![Picture](/uploads/2/9/6/6/29663797/455066889.jpg)
On random days,
I find myself picking up
the blue striped and plaid photo album
from the hospital.
As I flip through the glossy pages,
I always find myself
halting at a certain photo and remembering
exactly what was going on.
My brother and I sit
huddled close on my hospital bed,
pillows from home scattered behind us.
My pale green hospital gown has slipped a little
from my shoulder revealing my protruding collarbone,
showing just how sick I looked.
He had his messy chocolate curls shoved
under a white monster energy hat.
We are both smiling
like kindergarteners on
their first picture day.
But our eyes show fear.
It was only a few minutes before they
came to take me to the pre-op room.
Nurses were bustling about,
drawing blood,
checking my vitals,
asking a thousand questions.
My mother and aunt stood
at the foot of the bed.
All of us telling jokes that were followed by
nervous laughter.
There was a ninety-five percent chance
that everything would go as planned,
but the five percent chance that something could go wrong
made us all anxious.
Was this goodbye for now,
or goodbye forever?
I find myself picking up
the blue striped and plaid photo album
from the hospital.
As I flip through the glossy pages,
I always find myself
halting at a certain photo and remembering
exactly what was going on.
My brother and I sit
huddled close on my hospital bed,
pillows from home scattered behind us.
My pale green hospital gown has slipped a little
from my shoulder revealing my protruding collarbone,
showing just how sick I looked.
He had his messy chocolate curls shoved
under a white monster energy hat.
We are both smiling
like kindergarteners on
their first picture day.
But our eyes show fear.
It was only a few minutes before they
came to take me to the pre-op room.
Nurses were bustling about,
drawing blood,
checking my vitals,
asking a thousand questions.
My mother and aunt stood
at the foot of the bed.
All of us telling jokes that were followed by
nervous laughter.
There was a ninety-five percent chance
that everything would go as planned,
but the five percent chance that something could go wrong
made us all anxious.
Was this goodbye for now,
or goodbye forever?