Neisseria gonorrhea
By Luchang Zhu
Our technician was inoculating Neisseria
in the biosafety hood.
While working, this young lady started talking
about what she knew about Neisseria.
“Do you know gonorrhea is prevalent in nursing homes?
I used to work there.”
She turned to me with sparkling eyes.
“They were so naughty,” she said.
“I saw them kissing so hard,
like they were trying to suck the souls
out of each other.”
I looked into her sparkling eyes.
“Have you ever heard of
‘Party like there’s no tomorrow’?”
“Yes,” she said.
Bio: Luchang Zhu is a scientist and poet based in Ames, Iowa. His work explores nature, memory, identity, and the intersection of science and everyday life. His poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Down in the Dirt, The Galway Review, Academy of the Heart and Mind, and Tap into Poetry.
