B Wagner

Just Passing

As a child with pet hamsters
I learned the basics needs for a decent life.
Clean water, fresh food,
A safe place to sleep
(Away from your excretions).
A roof overhead.
A few scraps of felt for softer nests would be nice.
A feeling of being cared for.
Not essential.

I knew in my bones when that first one died.
I didn’t need to check the rise and fall of its little ribs.
Its head lolled, rolled backward
At an impossible angle.

Today I passed a man lying on the ground,
Surrounded by plastic bags, his feet dirty.
I can’t be certain if his chest moved.
But the position of the head seemed ok.
I walked on.

B Wagner is a research physician developing drugs to fight AIDS, cancer, and severe autoimmune diseases. She has worked as an infectious disease doctor, treating patients with HIV/AIDS. My work explores themes of nature, healthcare, and the early death of her wife. Publications include The Scarred Tree, and in several anthologies, including The National Library of Poets.