Surgery and Religion

Surgery I sat on the bed in the hospital bed, dressed in a new pajama- shiny and with dragons on-my wife had bought just for this hospitalization, reading a newspaper, the surgeon came in, said halloo told me his team was the best, reassuring smile told me not to worry. A girl, in blue came, served me soup and there was a sign on my bed that the patient should have no breakfast. Triple bypass I struggled to think of something grim like the hereafter and god, but was more alarmed about this stupid war in Iraq. At dawn they gave me a pill, I read a poem I had written about Marilyn Monroe which I liked; then of for hours I was suspended in dreamless nothingness. When I awoke I had lost the last trace of any religious beliefs.