Issue 22 - 1992

Coe Review • Issue 22
Korean Massage Parlor
Chris Funk
i played doctor with other cartoon big head little body people
who lived outside my mother’s enforced play area boundaries
doctor bill came from outside those lines to work in the office next
to my home
kara (a 4 year old Korean refugee adopted by the Perkins across the
street) came from
outside those lines as well to see doctor bill, and i appreciated that as
i did not want to be the patient
kara was a hypochondriac -- she was never ill and
she came for weekly examinations despite her fear of the needle
doctor bill knew what was best, kara didn’t
the examination room -- a mattress covering an S T P stain over a
cold cement foundation,
a reminder that Dad’s Lincoln Town Car would be back at 5 and
would remain in the examination room until 7 the next morning
doctor bill’s office hours were from 7 to 5, but he actually
worked for only 1/2 an hour each week
i think bill leased the office from Dad
and that was o k
i worked for doctor bill, i was the nurse
i held kara’s arms
i was also the anesthesiologist
the harder kara’s nails embedded themselves
into the unexposed flesh of my arms, the harder i would slap the
smooth underside of her sunken jaw
i was doctor bill’s favorite nurse, he liked my technique
he said his needle always poked cleaner holes when
kara didn’t move, didn’t resist.
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