Poem - The Patient 6

6

when i get the letter
that starts with
when you get this note
i shall be gone for i have
'found myself and
i will be gone shortly

i rush to the hospital
he is not there
having gone missing
thursday night

the police and searchers
comb the woods
and check all hotels and
bus stations homeless camps
bars etc etc

i show them the note
they wonder why
it is torn at the bottom
they look at me
darkly suspiciously

they confiscate it

but later i find
the torn off section
secreted in the crevice
of my car door

it says
as an expression
of my gratitude
i will be back for you
JMS 1 
with a ace of diamonds
torn in half

when the police
ask me if i found
anything else i lie
about this note

i lie
and i sleep
in my lies

my wife says
if i feel like
you're starting to carry
you patients in your head
and they can't get out
of your head i might have
to leave you

and i sleep
and then wake up
see new cases and pretend
any patient is out
of my head out of sight
out of mind

i look
at the ace of diamonds
and avoid reflections
when i do so