Diana Darby ** "I V" ** Intravenous

Silently Screaming

His name is Hui,
pronounced we.
I let him stick needles into my
back and neck.
Yesterday
he stuck one in the top of my shoulder
and I screamed.
He said I needed it.
He said I carried the weight of the world
on my shoulder.
I guess I do.
After I let go,
after I stopped feeling the sting of the needle,
I felt a rush of emotions,
almost as if someone had popped a zit
on my face
and let the pus run out.
I thought about how much pain I carry
and wondered how many other places
in my body
are silently screaming.