Needles pierced through my skin
Attached to the machine
Entering the layers perhaps 1/16" of an inch
At approximately 10-15 needle drops per second
Fast enough to avoid puncturing my skin
And causing bleeding
And yet slow enough to avoid tearing it
It bled and wept a little
But it was a uniquely personal experience
They often ask if it's sore; if the pain is unspeakable
That somehow got me thinking once - no, a few times
That if I'd cut myself, will I bleed black?
Like the ink used for my tattoos
But I don't blame them for asking such a question
Fooled by horror stories, they're bound to think that it's excruciating
Often I'd like to tell them that my body can take almost anything
A cut, a burn, 10 tattoos, and counting
My body can withstand different amounts of pain
No need for drugs that can thin the blood
No need for skin-numbing creams
Because it is in the mind that I control the sensation
It is my mental strength that I can always hinge upon
But no matter how strong my mind is
Sometimes my heart fails
Every time it got fooled, played and hurt
Only time can tell how long I'd have to heal the pain
Unlike the healing process of my tattoos
It was never quite manageable
An open wound still
I don't know how a healed heart feels like
But... Flake off, Quagmire
-PRK-
