Blood test

She watches her blood spatter into four vials:
the purple and orange rubber tops
pressed in turn to the plastic cylinder
at the base of a line of gleaming metal
embedded into the flat white and
unfreckled plane of her arm.

The needle noses inside the blue vein
welcomes the warm rush of red
that engulfs its slim and silver point,
drawing warmth into itself before shooting
into tubes, wine red and bright: a spectacle
to distract from the potential code it carries.