benign neoplasm

in the near dark
of the examination room
he says,
you'll feel a pinch.
I see the long slender
needle in his hand.
his goggles on,
the white coat and plastic
gloves
upon him.
my chin is pressed
into a cup
my forehead pressed against
the cushioned cage
before me.
grip the handles he says.
turn your head to the right,
but look up to the left.
your left.
the needle goes in,
then again. piercing the small
nodule.
a third time, it's more
than a pinch.
several words come out of
my mouth, words
that once required soap
at the hand of my mother
to wash them out.
once more he says,
then a pair of long nose
needle pliers
begins to squeeze the benign
neoplasm free
of whatever debris lies
within.
tears stream down my face.
my hands are red from gripping
the handlebars
of this machine.
twenty minutes later
I'm in shock from the pain.
the nerve that runs
across my face, from eye
to ear trembles.
a trickle of blood finds it's
way upon my lips.
that's it he says. not
so bad, was it?