History

History
is
the sneaky itch
on your instep
that promises
it will feel good
to scratch it
and that it will be over quickly
allowing you
to get back to sleep

but which instead
just keeps itching
and breeding more itch elsewhere
which you believe
is all branching out
from the first itch
but that makes no sense because
they’re all on
different parts
of the body so there’s no way
one irritation could pop up in so
many places driving you crazy
and making you suspect
against all conventional wisdom
that you’re filthy
and complicit somehow
in causing the itch

and you lie there
wondering
what you ever did
to deserve
this and
why has it fallen to you
to take care of something
that should be
over by now and
when exactly
will you have scratched enough
for one lifetime and lastly
are you ever
going to be able
to get back to sleep?