normally for him at least
the process
is relatively painless
normally in his skilled hands
life's essence
is captured easy and free
this time is different though
he is stuck
at a loss for where to start
his subject is a woman
on chemo
lymphoma at thirty-nine
her once youthful and bold veins
have withered
shadows of their former selves
he searches and prods both arms
even feet
but he can conjure nothing
where is that line he wonders
that one line
from which all else will follow
he wishes she would tell him
you'll find it
but instead she looks away
the seconds pass painfully
like pressure
mounting from a tourniquet
until with stainless-steel quill
bevel up
he takes a plunge—his best shot
hopeful in the end to have
more than stains
on crumpled pieces of white
The publication costs of this article were defrayed in part by page charge payment. Therefore, and solely to indicate this fact, this article is hereby marked “advertisement” in accordance with 18 USC section 1734.
Authorship
Correspondence: Adam Possner, George Washington University, General Internal Medicine, Medical Faculty Associates, 2150 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Suite 2-105 South, Washington, DC 20037; e-mail: apossner@mfa.gwu.edu.
© 2011 by The American Society of Hematology
2011
This feature is available to Subscribers Only
Sign In or Create an Account Close Modal