Night Call
Richard Weiss ~
 At two am its insistent ring ambushes me awake.
 I whisper, not wanting to disturb my wife or rouse
 the dog who will whine for food, write down
 the name and number before it’s jumbled, swallow
 my resentment on being awakened and listen
 to his story–then ask those practiced questions,
 scrolling his body from one organ to another.
 Tell me about the pain–what it feels like–pressure
 or a vise, does it stab, sear, rip, ache, is it steady