By Paul Smith
In physical therapy
we learned the difference
between pain and discomfort
Jessica spread my legs apart
like I’m a rotisserie chicken
and I felt it in my hip
the one they redid
but I said ‘No’
when she asked if it hurt
I liked saying ‘No’ to whatever
that burning was
then I cancelled then rest of
my sessions with her
because at some point someone
said
stop when there is discomfort
and I thought it and pain
were one and the same
we are expected to know
the difference
like we are supposed to know
the difference between
lots of things
but between all the things
we can choose is us
we are a pivot point
a fulcrum
that can go one way
or the other
especially when Jessica’s eyes implied
I should push through the pain
and just call it discomfort
because pain is just a thing in my head
and it gets murky
Dad said there wasn’t
much black and white
out there but a whole lot of gray
and Dad said
he could always beat a zone defense
Paul Smith is a civil engineer who has worked in the construction racket for many years. He has travelled all over the place and met lots of people from all walks of life. Some have enriched his life. Others made him wish he or they were all dead. He likes writing poetry and fiction. He also likes Newcastle Brown Ale. If you see him, buy him one. He is a featured poet at Mad Swirl.