Infectious Disease Barbie

(Imitation of Denise Duhamel's work...)

Infectious Disease Barbie

Barbie waits by the water cooler for Ken to appear.
Her azure blouse matches her eyes perfectly.
And as Ken walks up to her, his tie is the same
blue as her eyes.

A quick glance the jumps from Barbie to her lover
is as urgent as salmon jumping upstream.
They return to saving the lives of the innocents in the
criminal world of rapes and murders.

The end of the day brings Barbie to the Positive Link Program
at the local hospital.
Her plastic fingers, molded together, can't sweat,
let alone twiddle as they desire.
Her smile is happy and confident but inside
her phantom stomach turns.

The test is difficult since there is no blood to draw
or cells to swab from the cheek.
But Barbie's not positive she's negative.
the needles that have punctured her face may have been used before.

Barbie hums songs from Rent over and over in her head.
As the doctor approaches, she beckons Barbie and tells her
She has a disease, but it's not likely to spread.