Don’s Wisdom
“Power isn’t always glory,
but glory is always power”
and “Foot the bill
and you’ll top the billing”
are among the flights of fancy
Don writes on his arm.
We try unsuccessfully
to keep ink pens
away from him
at the facility’s workshop.
The social worker suggests
a pad and pencil to distract
Don during breaks.
One day he returns,
the no. 2 dripping blood.
A couple weeks later,
the nurse removes
the bandages from his arm.
When I ask Don
if the scars say something,
he says to read between the lines.
David Henson and his wife reside in Illinois. His work has been nominated for Pushcart Prizes, Best Small Fictions, Best of the Net, and has appeared in various publications including Revolution John, Best Microfictions 2025, Ghost Parachute, Moonpark Review, Maudlin House, and Literally Stories, His website is http://writings217.wordpress.
