the doctor told her
I might be an asshole,
but my health would be okay.”
That’s what he says
when I discover his heartbeat
is a horse’s gallop—
expecting him to run away.
But he stays
awake, I count the rhythm
1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3,
until the numbered sounds
betray me to think
that holding on would be easy.
