Hands on

While
administering
treatment to triggers
in the muscles
of
her fractured back

I traced every nerve
that
begged for mercy

crying & shaking
thru each
breath

like
a torture victim
she told me everything
that could possibly
be
said

about the pain
&
about the relief

as
nerves let out wails
thru her speech,
knots w/in the fiber of
muscle
balked w/ ease
&
bellowed each letter
of the word
agony

conveying
the
reality

personally