Chinese Proverb - John Carré Buchanan

He lay there silent,
head tipped back,
a look of surprise
fixed in his eyes.

On his head
two black spots lie
separated by a maw
that was not there before.

The line of scarlet
crossed his brow.
He’d not had time
to utter 'ow'.

I remembered then
an old adage;

“Do not remove a fly
from your friend’s forehead
with a hatchet.”

John Carré Buchanan