Blood Test Flight
The phlebotomist
puts down the padded arm —
like a safety latch —
across my chair.
She has me roll up
my sleeve, ties a blue strap
above the elbow. With gloved hand
she pushes on skin: It's small, but
it will work. Before
the needle's bee sting, I
launch my mind
to the red & gold swings
of Knoebel's Grove. My brother is 8;
I am 10. We lift up, spin. The nearby oak
blurs and our feet
kick sky.
I looked at this picture before heading to the health center at
my local hospital for a doctor-prescribed blood test to check for cholesterol.
In the waiting room, I did a little free writing, but the wait wasn't
long. Sitting in the chair, I found my mind drifting away to the picture
as she took the blood.
