Poetry by Carol L. Gloor

A generic woman smiles
               from the poster in the exam room,
               her body wired with red nerves.
Mine’s the one running
               down the right leg,
               the one that’s caught fire.
A plastic spine stands
               at attention on the shelf,
               bristling with vertebrae.
The white coat points
to the bottom two,
               this is where I will
               insert the needle,
               with very small risk
               of spinal fluid release
               or paralysis.
While I sign the release
I have no time to read
he’s still talking.


Carol L. Gloor has been writing poetry since she was sixteen. Her work has been published in many journals, most recently in Abandoned Mine. Her poetry chapbook, “Assisted Living,” was published by Finishing Line Press in 2013, and her full-length poetry collection, “Falling Back,” was published by WordPoetry in 2018.