Blackbirdan online journal of literature and the artsFall 2020  Vol. 19 No. 2
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an online journal of literature and the arts
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A Nurse’s Tattoo

The butterfly’s wings are lungs. The chemo chair’s the chair. The needle slides into my vein, I slide segmented into the whirling orifice, holding my breath. “Breathe,” the machine repeats. I tear the tape off as soon as I leave. Toss it into a trashcan at the intersection. The bruise is subtle but will deepen, then fade.  

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