The following haibun was first published in Issue #106, December 31, 2024, of Failed Haiku:

The nurse asks, “Do you have any metal in your body that wasn’t present at birth?”

Which is an odd question.

Those last five words don’t seem necessary. They imply that it’s possible for metal to be present in the body at birth or even before birth. Those five words further assert that, while metal in the body present after birth might complicate certain medical procedures or surgeries, metal present in the body at birth or before birth might be benign or even beneficial.

cyborg baby

suckling

power cords