Blood

Strolling past
The Haematology
And Oncology Centre
Where workers
Are nearby
Digging a trench
For reasons
Which remain unclear
An elderly lady
Wearing a face mask
Attempts to engage
In a conversation with me
I try to get
The hell away from her
Aware of the noisy drilling
Adding to the absurdity
Of the situation
'I cannot hear you!'
I keep telling her
All she wanted to know
Was if I was
Going to have
My blood taken
No
I was going
For my daily walk
Trying to avoid people
She ogles me
With a toxic scorn
As if I rubbed one
Out in front of her
Or decided to drop
My trousers
Pulled down my boxers
And taken a big steaming shit





Bristol, May 2020