I am in a common despair. So in order for me to have hope, it is crucial to stack fifty pounds of books on the left-hand side of my bed. I cover him tightly with my warmest woolen blankets. This boyfriend is named Shiver. He is best left alone to his thoughts. But one night, I will accidentally roll into him. He’ll fall on me with such grace and with the acceleration of all of history.
Copyright © 2013 by Amy Lawless. Used with permission of the author. This poem appeared in Poem-A-Day on July 16, 2013. Browse the Poem-A-Day archive.