Things I’ve Injured This Year

punched my signature              
into 6mm plate-steel              
broke my right hand in three places              
shattered the knuckle                
                     
needs surgery                    
told to have 6 weeks off                    
walked back into work                      
6 hours later                    
swelling won’t go down                    
my pain doesn’t matter                    
never has
 
tore the facia in my left heel                    
partially off the bone                    
Doctor hissed                    
fuuucccckkkkk under his breath                    
looking through the ultrasound  
ordered two extra shots of cortisone                    
three dry needle runs                      
no nerve block                    
take a week off he advised      
normally only see that kind of damage  
in car crash victims                    
how long have you had the pain?                    
   
I lie                    
tell him a couple of months                    
when I’ve been walking on a 6inch blade      
for maybe a year      
walked into work 3 hours later                    
boot strapped tight enough to cut off circulation                    
my pain doesn’t matter                
                     
dislocated my right shoulder                    
shifting shit most people can’t                    
popped out when I lost control            
weight of the board came down in my hands  
shoulder popped back in                  
shearing off shards of bone into the socket
finished my work                    
made sure everyone else was ok                      
drove myself to hospital                
told me to take 4 weeks off                
took 3 days    
   
after a time    
pain is the only thing            
that’s real             
like a junkie                    
desperate for more                      
           
it leads to words        
in some underground back alley                  
                 
they                    
sink                  
in                      
just                      
right                    
                   
I never use painkillers