Postponement

Distractions can sometimes
Help prevent emesis—

Sniff of cleaning fluid
Or an alcohol wipe,

A sudden bit of news,
Anything that’s startling—

Although sometimes nothing
Can stop the upheaval—

You’ve personally soiled
A doctor’s polished shoes,

The inside of a car,
Other unfortunate

Embarassments—one time
You threw up on the phone

Without dropping the call.
But distractions can help

And the fact that they can
Puzzles you a little—

Did your body really
Need to lose its lunch, then?

Is nausea mostly
Useful, if unpleasant,

Or a superfluous
Symptom? Could it at least

Be a good source domain
For metaphors of loss

That try to close the gap
Between true helplessness

And misery that could
Be postponed for a while.