Circling the Drain

She lies still in the hospital bed feeling her heartbeat and stares at her withered feet yellowed nails thick and curled waxy skin blue veins unfurled. Her jaw is slackened from the shock, she hears the ticking of the clock, this useless disc hangs on the wall, it's meaningless, no help at all. She doesn't know what year it is and where's her husband and the kids? She feels her temper start to rise, but cannot move, to her surprise. Her heart rate's up her breathing's fast, the distance from the door seems vast. Now, here she comes: that nurse with drugs, her protest's swept under the rug. And so she slips away once more, her life-force spills onto the floor, and when she wakes she grips the sheet and stares in horror at her feet.