Novocaine

I don't
know how to
take your pain away.

Insurance isn't enough.

You say

psh

to me
when I say
such lines.

You ask

did you say that
to all the other
women?




And I can't remember



because I'm sure I did



isn't that what nice guys do?



You're not nice
you're convenient

you say between drips
of a morphine-chemo cocktail.

But I'm sure you meant it.

You try to make a
"jerking it" gesture
after you say that.



In the hallway
a father tells his son
who also has cancer
he'll be strong.

I don't want to make
you numb
because you're already there

because of me
because of the previous him
because of the invisible it

coursing through your lungs.

I can only
try to take the pain away
through meaningless words.

pH Balance

Before your diagnosis
you diagnosed us
as imbalanced.

My doctor says
we’re not chemically
compatible during sex;
stop throwing off my pH.

You admitted you
had no idea what
he meant
then admitted you
titrated unknown liquids
in Chem 101.

Post diagnosis
you repeated

ph ph ph ph

titrating your world
back to balance.

Stage two
brought you
pronouncing

photograph
philosophy
philharmonic
philistine

with a hard PUH
sound
and soft hoh.