three years ago today i earned a new set of scars

third day on a new job

unfamiliar with the dangers

five hundred degree plastic with too much back pressure exploded out of the nozzle

unfortunately i was in the path

blinked just in time to save my right eye

this morning after a shower the pale skin showed itself to me as i gazed in the mirror

and it came rushing back

the machine wouldn’t load the liquid plastic into the mold

i peeked around to see if i could see the blockage

that was when the pressure chose to act

when liquid hits the instinct is to rub the torturous substance off

but you cannot

you just have to grit your teeth as your flesh cooks until it is cool enough

and all that was racing through my head was the agony of my searing face and chest

after i cleaned the plastic out of my open wounds i went to the drugstore looking like a leper

a numbing topical spray and six more hours of work

gun-shy

hands shaking as sweat ran into the open wounds

i have done some stupid things and gotten injured before

but the constant throbbing and new born fear this put me through was new

it isn’t like i was ever good looking before the trial by fire

and scars add character i’ve heard

unfortunately for me they faded pretty well and only show up when i’m flushed

so instead of character, just another flaw

pretty much par for the course when it comes to my life

but there are times to this day

when i wake up with my heart pounding and have to double check i still have both eyes

so there’s that

and at the end of the day

i learned something

to never work on plastic injection molders again

maybe one day i can show you my scars

each has it’s own story to tell