On the second floor of the white-brick 
building they repeat your name,

            We appreciate the concern expressed in your message,
                        but we have exhausted all available options.

one among hundreds, like the rogue  
cells multiplying in your blood,

            We regret to inform that no further interventions 
                        are available at this time.

until you answer presente, I am here,
I am still here, and you rise with care

            Please note that we are not responsible for patients’
                        personal effects. Be aware of your surroundings.

if not speed, each limb refusing 
to move in natural sequence, 

            Press 1 for English. Oprime dos para Español. Please hold
                        to be connected to our next available representative. 

as if seized by an explosive’s blast 
radius: logic and form, displaced. 

            The subject’s prognosis will be updated in the medical
                        record at our earliest convenience. Continue to hold.

How do we respond to the body’s 
repeated failure to answer for itself?

            Failure to follow the recommended dosage may result
                         in organ damage or system shutdown.

No matter. Nearer to thee is our newest 
refrain, which rings like an unanswered 

            While survival rates have improved over the previous
                        decade, the disease is largely considered incurable.

promissory note or a blurred silhouette 
against the bedroom wall, some failure 

             All safety protocols must be followed. Proceed 
                         to the nearest exit in the event of an emergency.

of memory. And yet you persist, straining 
to conjure a new language between us, 

             Have you prepared a last will and testament?
                         Have you completed the Advance Directive?

the simplest of men: I promise to learn 
every square inch of our divide.