I thought it would hurt more. When the knife split the skin held taught between the thumb and the pointer finger of the surgeon. I was convinced it would hurt more as instruments of extraction plunged deep below my surface and began their dirty work. But there was no pain. I laid there in the calm and still of night. There were a few tears and my eyes were closed most of the time. And like that it was removed. All of these years of running from town to town trying to avoid the pain. And each unfortunate encounter with a medicine man sent me off again with new speed under foot. I have traversed all 7 seas and hid under all types of men’s sheets.
Last night I laid down without any medicine. In the still and the quiet I bared my flesh and pulled it back to the bones. After 31 years of living with this on the inside I watched as it was pulled from to the out. It was not as ugly as I imagined it would be. Nor was I as damaged by at as I initially thought. And like that it was gone. I woke this morning after a heavy sleep, my first night sleeping without it. I woke this morning to meet the doctors eyes and hear his words “you did alright, everything is going to be just fine”.
So now I am free of this disease. I will no longer infect the company I keep no pass it along to my offspring. I am free of all that ails me. So we are now free. We have removed the intruders, it is now just you and me.
