Certain details I had hid from you
during the course of our relationship –
the story of the Uncle’s abuse,
the feelings of arousal from a dead
grandfather, the cicatrix on my left palm
from an intentional burn –ones, I determined
you could do without knowing, as you would press
me to speak more, justify, provide context
when I wasn’t ready. But when I offered to be
your practice patient for a mock history
& physical exam, I assumed the persona, not
of an imaginary man, but of myself,
and with a gentle nudge of your question: ‘Any history
of hostility, abuse, psychological issues
that come to mind?’ they came pouring out,
one by one, like thin oil, to the student-doctor version
of you. I had surprised myself by the end of it, noticed
how you were taken aback, your eyes hazed
with discomfort. And what came next was the lover’s concern,
the way I had known it would come.
–Tanmoy Das Lala
Tanmoy lives in New York City with his partner, Eric, and a pea plant. His works have appeared in various online journals. His website is tanmoydaslala.blogspot.com