thankful for this, day 14: probable pain

i put it off long enough.

today, i went willingly
to get immunized
for diseases i want nothing to do with for 11 months.

ironically, i have administered vaccines
day after day for years
to mammailian moving targets,
that bark and meow and bite and scratch.
a shift that i don't stab myself with a needle is a good shift.

i try to resist inflicting or experiencing pain…
but yes, getting a paycheck for it certainly helps.

still, the longer i sat in the exam room,
tensions kept building.
at first, i tried tapping my foot or drumming my pen
that didn't stop time.
out came the vials from the refrigerator
and a gigantic needle from a drawer
so instinct tells me to button up my cardigan and run out the door.
but i sat there. and offered my left shoulder.
i also turned my face and pouted in the opposite direction.
the nurse was unbelievably patient.
she promised not to shield me from this reality:
the best of my day and rest of my day would happen…
but only after some momentary aggrevation

plenty of deep breaths
and tactical negotiation later,
i had a garfield band-aid,
spiderman sticker,
lemon lollipop,
and international vaccination certificate as proof
that i'm not, now and for the next ten years starting in ten days, yellow.