The itch has lasted
a little over
seven years

cooled and quieted down
from its initial effect
receded to a mere tingle now and then
but keeps its landmark hold
on my back

it wouldn’t take much to
stir it all up again
but the trigger of it all
will probably
never come back
and cause and cure
I’ve never sought

a proud itch
from happy flesh
(whether or not
it deserved to be)
which gained a permanent scar

flesh that stretched
from front to back
heart to lung
and rippled from
heart to heart

if forensic experts wonder
what had once prompted the
furious outbreak rash
as they trace the sign
on my skin markings

I’ll smile in cold composure
and take the secret memory
of that most ticklish time,
with me to my grave

07/07/2005