We All Had Other Plans
“My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.”
Desmond Tutu
Nobody planned
to be here tonight,
nobody, nobody, nobody,
yet the waiting room is full.
I rolled out of a nap
into a head on collision
with the night stand,
lost that argument.
Patients on crutches,
holding ice packs,
some sitting in wheelchairs.
Faces grimace, masks torn off.
Loved ones rub arms,
hold hands, slump in chairs,
escape in phones.
TV on, white noise.
Two walk in off the street,
they want a place to sleep.
Five more are announced
by wailing siren, they get a room.
After a while, we start comparing notes,
how long we have been waiting,
for test or result, even the other plans
we had for the evening; finally farewell.
Michael J. LaFrancis has been a trusted advisor to business, government, education and technology leaders and teams for over 20 years as they design, develop, implement and manage strategies to become more responsive to those they serve. He has worked for global technology leaders including Red Hat (IBM), Gartner and Digital Equipment. He has a B.A. in Psychology from Saint Leo (FL) University, is a graduate of the Organization and Systems Development Program at the Gestalt Institute in Cleveland.
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