Demonology

Speak of an itch & it will appear, pure miserable temptation to turn on ourselves, to rub our bodies clean of all sensitivity. Existing mainly in the details, its names are legion: arm itch, thumb itch, calf itch, back itch, breast itch, chest itch, lip itch, rib itch, forearm itch, foreskin itch, elbow itch, ankle itch, facial itch, anal itch, mouth itch, muscle twitch, groin itch, gum itch, head itch, heel itch, wrist itch, fingernail itch, kneecap itch, behind-knee itch, leg itch, neck itch, nipple itch, nose itch, scalp itch, stomach itch, eye itch, eyelid twitch, vaginal itch, clitoris itch, testicle itch, penile itch, thigh itch, shin itch, underarm itch, eyebrow itch, ear itch, cheek itch, sole itch, shoulder itch, knuckle itch, upper arm itch, buttock itch, foot itch, hand itch, finger itch, palm itch, jaw itch. Even an amputee’s missing part can somehow itch, on the other side of an unbridgeable absence. It’s a bait-&-switch. What we miss — we’re convinced — is simply the scratching.