“Modern Medicine” by Hannah Siden

Poetry Pause is the League of Canadian Poets’ daily poetry dispatch. Read “Modern Medicine” by Hannah Siden.


Modern Medicine

By Hannah Siden

It’s as simple as blood

& bone. Even now,

even so many years on,

in the 21st century.

They offer patches:

blood into needle

into spine. A puncture

to repair a puncture.

They can’t be sure

of hitting the right spot.

Expect complications.

Imaging is not always

reliable. Even now,

even so many years

on. Like kids doing

arts & crafts, we glue

ourselves back together.

I am Raggedy Ann

on the steel table, on

too much Xanax. The

doctor tells me I’m doing

great & I believe that

he’s really trying. It’s

a science & yet entirely

up to chance. After

all, it’s left to my body

to hold the patches

or reject them. For weeks

I barely breathe. Then

the headache returns.

Blood spreads against

dura which shifts

against bone. The leaks

open & re-open. I shatter

in my disbelief. Even

now, even so. Even so.


Copyright © Hannah Siden

Hannah is a writer and filmmaker living on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations (Vancouver, BC). Her poetry has been published in PRISM International, Canthius, Room Magazine, Metatron Press and elsewhere. She can be found at https://www.hannahsiden.com.


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