Here’s another recycled, pre-owned, gently used, like-new, encore presentation of a post. The wordier original version was here.
Speak of an itch & it will appear,
pure miserable temptation
to turn on ourselves,
to rub our bodies clean
of all sensitivity. Existing
mainly in the details,
its names are legion:
arm itch, thumb itch,
calf itch, back itch,
breast itch, chest itch,
lip itch, rib itch,
forearm itch, foreskin itch,
elbow itch, ankle itch,
facial itch, anal itch,
mouth itch, muscle twitch,
groin itch, gum itch,
head itch, heel itch,
wrist itch, fingernail itch,
kneecap itch, behind-knee itch,
leg itch, neck itch,
nipple itch, nose itch,
scalp itch, stomach itch,
eye itch, eyelid twitch,
vaginal itch, clitoris itch,
testicle itch, penile itch,
thigh itch, shin itch,
underarm itch, eyebrow itch,
ear itch, cheek itch,
sole itch, shoulder itch,
knuckle itch, upper arm itch,
buttock itch, foot itch,
hand itch, finger itch,
palm itch, jaw itch.
Even an amputee’s missing part
can somehow itch, on the other side
of an unbridgeable absence.
It’s a bait-&-switch.
What we miss — we’re convinced —
is simply the scratching.
I liked the amputee phantom itch ending… but I liked even more the original post and the spirited comments it elicited.
Thanks for the feedback. The ending above represents a major scaling back from what I had earlier in the day. I might still put some of my new thinking in this post, if I can figure out a way to keep it from getting too preachy.
Oh, and thanks for reminding me to re-read the message string for the original post — a good one!
Hey man. Hey – did you know that people could be allergic to water? . . . just found that out today.
No way! Hell, we are mostly water! Is this some sort of auto-immune condition?
It’s called “aquagenic urticaria,” and I imagine it sucks.
Thanks. According to the About.com page, “Most investigators believe that this condition is actually exquisite skin sensitivity to additives in the water such as chlorine.”
(Loved your intro to reworking this piece.)
Apt title especially to those of use who suffer from mysterious itches of various origins. (Doctors have encouraged me to get in touch with NIH because of such unusual urticaria that I haven’t written about on my blog due to anonymity reasons.)
I’m fascinated by astronomy, meteorology, gentics and the variety of topics you’re presented here. Having been dubbed “Ms. Allergy Queen” when I’d much rather have a different moniker, I’m all too familiar with various hive conditions. This aquagenic urticaria intrigues me. I shall return when it’s not in the wee hrs of the morn because I wonder if it is at all related to a type of rash that occurs for me and one of my daughters after using the shower on Earth.
Hi gel – Thanks for stopping by! I’m glad this post resonated with you. Having known people with constant allergies, I feel very fortunate to have escaped that particular curse. I think it must be particularly hard on children.