Tit For Tat Poem by Nassy Fesharaki

From the lab couldn’t see
Outside air was foggy
I was called, “Cubicle No. one”
Nurse was round, curly hair oriental.

I rolled up left sleeve
Rubber band tied round arm;
She attacked with needle
Sought and sought like miner

Needle passed through flesh
Upper and lower walls, side to side
And again and again, no blood
Rinsing in laundry’s last stage,

Rinsed and rinsed all in vain
As man should, stubborn I remained.
“Wanna try the right one? ” I asked her.
In my mind, travelled and reached there.

To the house of neighbor
My patient a lady who was pale,
Someone helped with sleeve
Vitamins prescribed for I.V.

I could see blue veins
That was where needle went
No blood but a bit; a clot
Once again I tried

Then again and again
As the nurse does with me
“You then did to woman
This woman takes revenge.”

I smiled, even laughed
“Accept it, tit for tat.”