It's Still Life

I.  

One More Jab 

Spell your name - 
     and so I did. 

Date of birth - 
     which I confirmed. 

Side effects, she says  
sore arm 
fever 
headache 
itchy  
slight shingles rash  
     at which point I'm thinking  
     itchy scratchy oh no don't. 

Which arm, she asks. 
     Left, I say.  
     I sleep on my right. 

She says sleep is important. 
     God, don't I know it,  
     I'm thinking to myself.  

She helps me on with my coat, 
my arm's already feeling an ache.  
     It's tipping down outside.  

I wouldn't know, she says, 
her tone's flat as the beige 
painted walls.

I notice the window blinds.  
Closed clamshell tight. 
No view. 
No light.  

Be careful out there, she says. 
   You, too, I say, and thanks. 

II. 
A Splintered Blind

bright morning splinters 
a retreat into half dreaming,  
light ricocheting 



III. 

We Danced

a beachfront hotel 
out of season 
double bed with Irish linen 
and a bible in the drawer

I wrap myself in last night's 
red raw silk 
and brush the sand 
off my shoes. 

Written for I. & II. Miz Quickly’s Day 12: An Observation and III. PA’s Raw. Photo by Ben Hershey on Unsplash. Shared with #APoemADay on Twitter   ©Misky 2021