Weighed down

by sterile syllables

that do not roll off

tongue with ease

taste of examination rooms

rubbing alcohol

hand sanitizer

poked and prodded under glare of fluorescent lights

that make the blossoming head pain

triggered by waiting room perfume

aftershave

turn into throb over right eye

not enough time to sound out

new labels

cypher meaning and implications

before polite dismissal

with a handshake

instructions to come back in a few months

before being replaced by the next

number in the queue

pages covered in medical hieroglyphics

clutched in hand

while walking toward Exit sign

Now what? echoing in tired ears

 

© 2017 Christine Elizabeth Ray – All rights Reserved