after nine months
of dating.
eating,
walking, wearing out a few
pairs of shoes,
and feeding
bread to the ducks
down by the lake.
anything, i should know,
before we, we....
she says.
what do you mean?
you know.
diseases?
i throw a whole slice
of bread
out into the water
which hits a duck in
the back of his head.
the bread is sailing today
on
account of the wind.
nope.
nada, i tell her.
i'm squeaky clean. i had a rash
once, but i think it was
poison oak. i couldn't find
a bathroom and i was in
the woods, so, i just had
to go.
You?
nope. she says. i'm good too.
i'm practically a nun,
a virgin now,
but maybe we should
get blood tests just
to be sure.
she opens up her purse
and pulls out a syringe.
i put down the loaf of wonder
bread and roll up my sleeve.
she ties a rubber rope around
my arm and taps
out a vein.
i look away, and whistle as
she draws out a tube
of blood.
okay. that does it, she says
and dabs the needle prick with
some cotton and alcohol.
we should know in a week or
so where this relationship
is going.
cookie?
she hands me an oatmeal cookie
from a bag in her purse.
we throw some more bread
out to the ducks, then she takes
my hand, to help me back
to my car.
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