expiration date

my heart stalled somewhere between the left and right ventricle
a trick of the moment
a heat maybe
burning the face held between my fists

i tried to pull away
to jump start the old ticker
slapping my hands
against skin
against hair whiter now than i wanted it to be
than i remembered it to be

looking for that on/off switch
before my air runs out
and the lights go off

past my prime a bit
i want to keep ripening
here
in this spot where trauma stops its viscous bleed
my fingers near the magic buttons
painted red and green

expiration date smudged


copyright/all rights reserved Audrey Howitt 2014

Not at all sure what this is about today--