My Summer Vacation Snippet

An elderly man collapsed in diabetic shock
just as we were about to order pancakes at an iHop.
And I found myself thinking, "Oh God,
now we'll never get to the beach on time."

And then I considered: what have I become?
This is someone's grandfather
and he might be dying at our feet,
at this moment, the second day of our vacation.

Just when I'd convinced myself that I actually AM
a compassionate being who would patiently send love
to the possibly expiring, probable grandfather
whom paramedics were crowding around,
I noticed that they were blocking our way
from fleeing the restaurant.

And in that moment,
I thought, "Oh God, he's ruining our vacation."