Emergency Room

my hands smell of onions
my hands are stained with turmeric root

the EMT withholds the first aid kit
tsk-tsks at my lack of deep tendon reflex

salt crystal needle and seaweed thread are not enough
sewing basket and nylon fishing line are not enough

once you used a spatula in place of a scalpel
now a cuttlefish bone disguised as a mango pit

cuts holes in our pockets
takes responsibility for the timeline gaps

the past is a fishhook piercing the soft skin
between thumb and forefinger

the attending physician is about to go off her shift
she is only mildly interested

she asks if it hurts
what a dumb question I think

with no room for doubt, she says
it hurts

[RK, 9/17/23]