FIRE DRILL

Looking both ways
I slippered on tiles -
CAUTION - WET FLOOR.
A slip and a slop,
I shuffled along
adopting the gait,
the psychical gait
they expect from us all,
they all expect here.

Here on the wall
I spied a red box
all covered with glass.
In print I construed
BREAK GLASS and PRESS HERE.
Obliging, I broke,
then pressed on the nose,
and the hospital screamed
like doctors in pain.

Pain was a door
I walked through and slammed
wondering if
the hospital would
be jabbed into quiet.
Light flashing inside,
they shouted my name,
and a nurse made a grab
and pulled me outside.

Sideways he dragged;
my slippers fell off.
Dr McCall,
the Boss of the shrinks,
came running, his coat
dividing in wings.
He held up the shot,
let it spit in the air,
then pricked my stick arm.

''Armless old man,'
he said to the world.
'Nuisance of course
with all these alarms -
But what d'you expect
from psychotics like 'im?
Bed rest, and increase
all 'is doses for now.'
He flew from my shame.