The Following Scan Will Last Four Minutes

Before you sink away

into the morphinesweet unreality of the everyday

we would like to say something

about those spasms and fasciculations of yours

as well as that bump on your back

For years you have no doubt been googling every freckle

Just recently

you were at the doctor’s with a patch of dry skin on your leg

Diagnosis: too much shower gel

But on hearing the word chondrosarcoma

you went home and immediately unplugged your router

Do you know where your priorities lie?

Do you know what life has to offer

or did those endless therapy sessions

and that eight-week mindfulness course

simply teach you how to tolerate suffering

that every signal in your body

can be temporarily expelled

to the rhythm of some breathing exercise?

Let the pain be

To be free is to be free of need

Wrong

To be free is to need some fresh air

and to be able to get up and go outside

Don’t say we didn’t warn you