The woman stared at me

because I was the only one

looking at her. Mid 50s, not

a drop of English left

her tongue.

He stabbed her neck with a needle,

and she didn’t squirm-

I wish I would have held her hand,

but I was shy.

He showed me the slides:

doesn’t look good, he said.

And he stabbed her again.

And again.

And she didn’t say a word.