Do You Have Anything Good in that Needle?

[Lizzie]

The lights above me are rainbows of chandelier crystal,
but flat and round like Alien Autopsy.
"When I wake up, will I think I'm in heaven?"
The nurse says,"We'll give you glasses
so it doesn't seem so bright when you wake up."
"So that I don't accidentally go toward the light?" I quip.
In my case, it might be darker with a reddish hue.
Ha. Gallows humor.

My surgeon is an attractive man
with black-framed glasses and a commanding demeanor.
He says to me, "We'll take good care of you."
He's the kind of guy who gets offended if he sees you're nervous.
So, I say, "I'm sure you will. I'm not worried,"
but I think "You'd fucking better."

The anesthesiologist tourniquets my arm,
and assures me that he has something good in his needle.
He's wearing a black track suit like he just ran to the hospital
to poke me and leave. His black, hooded windbreaker
makes him look like the outdoorsey type reaper
I'd expect to see in the Pacific Northwest—
the type that shops at REI and hikes up Mt. Rainier
at least once a year.

He assures me that he does this all the time, that it's routine.
I'm glad that there's snow on the mountains
outside my window. I hope that he is not a liar.


*slight changes on 11/24/16 in response to Wjames*

[Wjames]

The lights above me are rainbows of chandelier crystal,
but flat and round like Alien Autopsy.
"When I wake up, will I think I'm in heaven?"
The nurse says,"We'll give you glasses
so it doesn't seem so bright when you wake up."
"So that I don't accidentally go toward the light?" I quip.
In my case, it might be darker with a reddish hue.
Ha. Gallows humor.

My surgeon is an attractive man
with black-framed glasses and a commanding demeanor.
He says to me, "We'll take good care of you."
He's the kind of guy who gets offended if he sees you're nervous.
So, I say, "I'm sure you will. I'm not worried,"
but I think "You'd fucking better."

The anesthesiologist tourniquets my arm,
and assures me that he has something good in his needle.
He's wearing a black track suit like he just ran to the hospital
to poke me and leave. His black, hooded windbreaker
makes him look like the outdoorsey type reaper
I'd expect to see here in the Pacific Northwest --  I would cut "here", to me it's more interesting if you just make that connection without being there. Plus, I think it makes the mountain comment at the end revealing if a reader is able to catch it, and make the connection on their own.
the type that shops at REI and hikes up Mt. Rainier
at least once a year.

He assures me that he does this all the time, that it's routine.
I'm glad that there's snow on the mountains
outside my window. I'm glad that he is not a liar. How do you know he's not a liar? I would "hope" he's not a liar.

Very nice, it's like a short movie in your brain.

[just mercedes]

Hi Lizzie - I'm not sure if you want critters here or not. I'll just repeat that the verb 'to be' makes your opening lines in the first two stanzas too passive for me - find a way to make them active, to seize your reader's attention. 'Assures' appears twice, in the last two stanzas; maybe you can change one use. I love to see dialogue in poetry, but you can introduce it without the 'she says', 'he says', 'I say'.

A good snapshot of time and place, and a look at the public person we project, contrasted by our private thoughts.

[Lizzie]

Good thoughts, JM. I'll work on those issues, especially the static verbs.

Wjames: I implemented your thought straight away. Thanks for the read.

[vagabond]

The lights above me are rainbows of chandelier crystal,
but flat and round like Alien Autopsy.                         just  .. flat and round? i somehow get the feeling even candlelights woudn´t have changed a thing. it´s quite normal to be afraid previously to an operation.  
"When I wake up, will I think I'm in heaven?"
The nurse says,"We'll give you glasses
so it doesn't seem so bright when you wake up."
"So that I don't accidentally go toward the light?" I quip.
In my case, it might be darker with a reddish hue.
Ha. Gallows humor.

My surgeon is an attractive man
with black-framed glasses and a commanding demeanor.
He says to me, "We'll take good care of you."
He's the kind of guy who gets offended if he sees you're nervous.              a good observation! these exist, though the offense can have different reasons than hybris.
So, I say, "I'm sure you will. I'm not worried,"                                 
but I think "You'd fucking better."

The anesthesiologist tourniquets my arm,
and assures me that he has something good in his needle.
He's wearing a black track suit like he just ran to the hospital
to poke me and leave. His black, hooded windbreaker  
makes him look like the outdoorsey type reaper
I'd expect to see in the Pacific Northwest—
the type that shops at REI and hikes up Mt. Rainier
at least once a year.

He assures me that he does this all the time, that it's routine.        unprofessional anaesthesiologist as well.. so no chance for trust here either   
I'm glad that there's snow on the mountains
outside my window. I hope that he is not a liar.         


*slight changes on 11/24/16 in response to Wjames*

this reads like an observation from the outside although you are talking about fear..
maybe the detachment is a way to manage during and afterwards the ordeal.

but this does not really make me fear

please take no offense, it´s just a subjective first impression.