Mr. Pain

By Lynn Hoffman

September 15th, 2016

Mr. Pain is a gentleman. He doesn't wake me, he stands respectfully beside my bed, his glowing steel fingers politely tucked beneath cactus spine arms. He waits 'til I'm awake, 'til I know that I'm not in my dream but in this bed. He watches my eyes, listens for my breath and he reaches for my face to begin his grim undertaking. Mr. Pain is head technician in his raw neural laboratory. He welcomes me back from the night.