~ Circumcision ~

 

The following is a Poem which is an article by Sami Elhassani, MD
on controlling pain during circumcision.

Foreskin Blues

I'm lyin' in this crib, just one day old,
Where there's too much light and it's way too cold.
Out in the hall they're makin' a decision
About whether I should have a circumcision.

The evidence says that penile correction
Will help protect me from urine infection.
Now they're repeatin' an unconfirmed rumor,
If they cut some off, I won't die of a tumor.

The surgery might save me from balanitis.
I wonder if that's worse than appendicitis?
They assured my parents it will make me clean,
So I won't spread germs on the sexual scene.

But the real reason is, according to Ma,
She wants to be certain I look like Pa.
But I don't look like him in the ears and nose,
When they finish with my phallus, will they whittle on those?

The next thing I know, they've got me tethered tight
And I'm stretched out, starin' at a big bright light,
And lookin' down at me is this surgical dude;
He pulls off my diapers and he strips me nude.

He's got a sharp knife and a mean lookin' clamp,
Scissors and a probe and a goose-neck lamp.
And unless I'm very wrong, he's about to begin
To cut me loose forever from my foreskin.

My Jewish pals at least get a nook
With plenty of wine and words from the book,
But it looks like all I get in this deal
Is a Betadine swab and the cold, cold steel.

Because I'm tiny and can't complain,
Grown-ups seem to think I don't feel any pain.
But the facts are clear, they should know damn well,
If they cut on my penis, it will hurt like hell.

So I plead, and I beg, and I moan and frown,
Please numb it up before you trim it down.
and have some compassion on us little guys,
Before you use the knife, please anesthetize.