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when the ache grew to be unbearable,
the accordion player finally went to the dentist
crossed the border to his hometown
where the dental care is cheap-- relatively speaking

afterward,
the fungus that was lurking, now unleashed,
began to migrate through his head
visiting the sinuses
invading his left orbit

now we care for him in the ICU
post craniotomy
head bloodied and bandaged
his eye and sinuses gone

we infuse high doses of ampho-terrible
after premedicating for the shakes,
hoping to squelch the fungus the surgeons could not reach

today, the rest of the band came
they asked, "?cuantos pueden entrar?"
i said, "as many as we have room for."
so they filed in,
stood all around the bed
and sang
it was like a hymn, i think
soft and low, in
five-part harmony
then they prayed
and left him
sleeping so soundly, getting his best rest yet.