the club

waiting for my wife
to finish radiation
when they all start shuffling in

frail men
in pale blue hospital gowns

they are carrying
water bottles and assorted reading material

carrying their phones
to try and pass the time

one nurse greets them

one nurse asks them
if they’ve taken their gas-ex

a third nurse
walks around grabbing their water bottles to fill

they all say hello to each other
then they sit there in the silence and wait

until finally
one of the men turns to me
and smiles

says,
you joinin’ the club today, buddy,
or what?

ohn Grochalski is the author of five poetry collections, three novels, and the novella Wolves of Berlin Play Amateur Night at the Flute and Fiddle Pub (Alien Buddha Press 2024). He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.