Countdown

Take a breath

Countdown

Take a breath.
One, two, three.
Stab, pop, release.
And it’s in. 

The nurse pulls the blood 
and pushes the saline
through the port in my chest
that opens into my artery.

The pain goes quickly,
but the taste of the saline
is pronounced and odd,
the smoke of a flavor.

Someday, I will make them
rip this thing out of me
so my tastebuds 
will only taste the sweet.

But there is no cure,
there is no end,
even if right now
I am blessed with life. 

Take a breath.
One, two, three.
Stab, pop, release.
And it’s out.