Dislocated Elbow

Poet on Guard

I’m starting to count some money

Hallee hollers my name and flicks the lights

So I lock the cage and run up

Hallee’s on the phone Emily’s on the mats face down

Her arm

I run back down stairs to get my cell phone

I ‘m confused I don’t know what I’m doing
my phone is up stairs my keys are in my hand

I make one call Hallee makes the rest and I keep my hands on Emily

I tell her to try not to hold her breath and go ahead and breathe
and holler and cry

Emily has a keen sense of humor and we laugh

I go ahead and ask Hallee to go ahead w/ opening up the pub
she looks at me

I’m sorry I say I know it’s hard I’ll help you as soon as I can
I just need to stay down here with her right now

Emily asks me to go out to her car so I can change out her flower caked converse
I take charge of her keys and blue tooth and cell phone
She keeps her hat on

Me and the two women that have arrived help her sit up

Two men are here too to help get the pub up and running

Holding Emily up reminds me of holding up my grandmother
during a heart attack

“Why do I feel like I can’t breathe Valy?”

“Just try to relax Gram I’ll rub your hands just try to relax and breathe
slow and deep”

I needed to hold her so she could sit up so they could help her
we movie her from room to room they decide on a breathing tube


Once we have Emily safely on the stretcher one of the EMT’s asks me if I’m a mother

I told my mom that I love women yesterday

No I say
She looks me in the eyes she says “You should be”

I ride in an ambulance for the first time and stay with Emily until her sister arrives

I keep my hands on her tell her to breathe to try not to hold her breath and go ahead
and cry and holler

“I know it doesn’t seem like it but you’re ok”

At a certain point one of the doctors says the drug they’re going to give her
to put her elbow back in place may cause her to stop breathing

“you’re not going to let me go are you doc”

“We’ll breathe for you”

And Emily in the middle of it all says to the doctor
“Can I just tell you one more thing— eventually I’ll be wanting to know
if I’ll ever be able to pee again”

On my way back to work I hold myself together I walk not in a hurry and feel tired
8 hours of sleep over the past few days

I pick a young fennel sprig to roll between my fingers and look at the people I pass by

Back in the restaurant Hallie and I have a hug I tell her to go ahead and take a break
a walk around the block, she asks me if I’m sure I don’t need one

“I just had one but I’ll pee and then you can go”

We all make it through the day not to busy not too slow Emily comes through
She’ll be back to her other job in a week or two

Round about the 5 o’clock rush the kitchen computer goes down
I use my cell phone to sort out computer issues
field to go orders on the house phone hand writing tickets and hope
all the food makes it to the tables

My relief arrives we have a hug I fill her in on some things, have a pee, go to grab
my stuff

I sit down on the steps to breath and cry

Another co-worker comes in to grab something she sees me we don’t say anything
she squats down to wrap her arms around me

I clock out and rest at the end of the bar w/ a Picpoul spritzer and though I could just
sit home and sob I go to hear three women read poetry