[iii]
Lie back, the doctor said. I felt his cold hands pressing my stomach. Sorry, he said.
When he pressed near my belt, it happened. A memory hidden in the muscle flooded
me and I felt everything I was trying not to feel. A house, a room, a forgotten corner.
All collapsing and inside me.
The doctor stopped. He knew. He read my body too. He turned quiet. He looked me in
the eye. Would you like a glass of water? he asked. I said, Anything
Credit
From Love Between Men (Copper Canyon Press, 2026). Copyright © 2026 Pádraig Ó Tuama. Used with the permission of the Permissions Company, LLC, on behalf of Copper Canyon Press.
Date Published
01/01/2026