fostering the humanistic practice of medicine publishing personal accounts of illness and healing encouraging health care advocacy

fostering the humanistic practice of medicine publishing personal accounts of illness and healing encouraging health care advocacy

Six Sutures

She did not slice the bandage snugged about the numb toe
but tickled an end open to begin the unwinding. She
unwound the gauze slowly as she turned her head
to see where the cloth stuck to itself and how to cut it.

            A surgeon had severed the toe tip, bone
            and knuckle to prevent further infection
            which might mean amputating the toe.
            He said the cut and bone were clean.

Down at skin and scabs, she gently moistened
a cloth and the skin to avoid pulling open a scab.
Six sutures lay both over and under new skin.

            With scissors from a newly opened sterile bag,
            she nudged a suture from the once infected toe,
            coaxed it out of the skin, cut it and laid it aside.
            She repeated the nudge and snip for five more sutures.

She looked over the scabs and washed every toe
with a sterile solution and absorbent gauze.
Before she put the stocking back on the foot,
she put four Steri-Strips over the toe tip, top to bottom.

            Both strips and scabs came loose scant days after
            to reveal no toenail, clean skin and our great relief.

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David Anderson, a native northern Californian, retired librarian and bibliographer, has published poems in a variety of literary and poetry journals. One of his poems received a nomination for a Pushcart Prize. His first poetry book, What Was Within, was published in 2022. He emails friends a poem a month through David Anderson’s Poetry Letter. He might be reached through his dilapidated website, DavidCAndersonPoet.com.

About the Poem

“Written after having a toe partially sliced off (for the second time) to prevent further infection, this poem commemorates the work of the home health nurse, commissioned by the podiatrist in charge, completed the unveiling. In appreciation for her and her work, the nurse received a copy of the poem, but it has remained unpublished until now.”

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