J'attends.

Waiting.

Silent.

Only the buzzing of the lights.

Angst.

Someone else enters.

Silent.

Except all his noises of existence and coffee.

Loud.

Waiting.

But I had an appointment!

Confession: I was late.

But less than a tenth as late as they are

so far.

Frustration?

A door opens down the hall.

Is it time?

I guess not.

Waiting too long

in a sub-par waiting room

doesn't promote my mental health

and doesn't promote the success of this meeting.

My companion gets called in.

His noises can no longer frustrate me,

but I feel passed by.

Does it say more or less about my wellbeing:

this is not the first

but the fifth

place I've flirted with tears today?

A family enters.

They talk and the kid's phone meows and he teaches his mom to play plants versus zombies.

They receive their summons too.

Fifty eight minutes.

I finally accost the next staff I see.

The verdict: "Late/Cancelled."

But, but - Only three minutes!

She's really never coming for me.

Eventually they suggest

that the appointment had originally been someone else's -

someone who cancelled.

That's why it was available for me.

But it was never assigned to me.

My name was never written down.

Seventy five minutes.

I leave in tears

and cry through the streets.

Ouch.

This took bravery,

and it was wasted.

For this I missed a friend,

and that was wasted.

And I'm running out of options

that haven't been tarnished.