i have a cold v2

if

you put your cold

hands against my skin,

tuck your fingers up under my ribs

and pull,

tell me what you would find.

don’t you already know?

i would only wince in

pain once. one sharp intake

of breath, one single moment

of scrunched up face

and then i would breathe out

and

my fever would break. lungs

and hearts and tissues

and valves

and all would fall into

your hands

and i’d let you count

my ribs then. all

the way up to 24.

none missing. i give you my word.