ode to pelvic pain
outside a herd of elephants
thunder past
you are number 7 in the queue
you swallow a pill
that numb the nerves
that are sparking
like someone stuck their hand
in the toaster
the hold music is Sade
singing, while being strangled in the bath
you are number 3 in the queue
pink flamingos dance on the lawn
you were once entirely fuckable
the receptionist says
it will be a telephone consultation
you try & imagine
pelvic floor exercises
over the phone
the therapist
giving you instructions
on how to relax
your pelvis deep breaths
in & out in & out
like phone sex
Rachel Burns is published in magazines including Butcher’s Dog, The Rialto, The Moth, and Magma. Her short stories are published in Signs of Life, an anthology edited by Sarah Sasson, and Mslexia. She has recently been awarded an Arts Council DYCP grant.