Monday, June 24, 2024

Unmarked

It takes a few seconds, but
You come to realize that
The voice from the speakerphone

Squawking across the hallway
In the Emergency Room
Is speaking in Navajo.

Rina, the interpreter,
Is on the line to smooth things
Between elder and doctor.

It’s getting close to midnight.
As it happens, you’re reading
A book about occasions

Translators serve as fixers,
More than literary work,
Nearly psychopomps of sorts.

Are you hurting anywhere?
Do you have any questions?
We’re sending blood to the lab.

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