relax

I treat myself to a massage
at the local
parlor. why not,
I've worked so hard
this month.
back, neck, legs, feet,
fingers, arms.
that's it.
she's a thick woman
with broad shoulders
and the thin shadow
of a mustache
trimmed about her lip.
she knows what she's doing.
she finds
every ache
in every joint and muscle.
you be very tense,
she says. I think eastern
bloc.
relax, imagine pleasant
thoughts.
for a second I think about
the beach,
and then a shark biting my leg.
I try to relax, but the pain
is relentless.
I grimace and let out a
whimper. raising my hand
in the international sign
for stop.
quit being a girly man,
she says, as she hops
onto the table and puts
a knee into
the middle of my back.
I feel her elbows dig sharply
into my shoulders.
I have tears
in my eyes, and I mention
my mother
in a whisper.