there’s a thorn in my finger,
not sure how it got there –
maybe from childhood,
a prick from some forgotten toy,
or from a careless touch
in the garden of relationships,
the thorns of work are always a possibility, too.

and now, it’s lodged under the skin.
so i think, what should i do about it?

i could build a nice little barrier around it,
something neat, like a fence –
so no one will poke at it,
no one will even get close.
it’ll be my private thorn.

or i could set up some rules –
make sure everyone knows
to stay away from this tiny thing in my finger.
if they don’t, well, it’s on them.

maybe i’ll distract myself,
turn on the tv, scroll through my phone,
pour a drink, keep it busy –
anything to stop thinking about
this small, persistent ache.

i could eat my way through it,
a little extra food won’t hurt,
a few pills later, and i’ll be fine.

maybe i’ll try all of it –
people do that, you know,
build a whole routine around not feeling something.
seems like the thing to do,
wrap yourself up tight,
then act like nothing’s wrong.

or maybe,
i’ll just pull the thorn out.

yes, it’ll hurt.

but then i’ll look at my hand,
no more sharp little reminder
that something was there.

and for the first time in a while,
i’ll forget it was even a problem.