for a while there
I was worried
I had cancer. I even joined a gym
though I don’t know
why I thought it would help. didn’t quit smoking
or drinking,
but still, I joined a gym.
I’m a silly trout. and it didn’t help. things got worse
for two weeks then.
I was tired all the time
and my chest
felt like a pile of broken matches. lung cancer, I thought,
that’s it,
I’ve given myself lung cancer. then
one day
for no reason
I felt better. quit the gym
and my muscles
relaxed.
like drinking a cold glass of milk
and leaving the fridge open. coming in with groceries
and putting them down
by the table. preparing to unpack them.
then turning on the radio, having
a snack
and some wine. sitting down to music,
great music,
and forgetting about the fridge.
DS Maolalai has been nominated for Best of the Web and twice for the Pushcart Prize. His poetry has been released in two collections, “Love is Breaking Plates in the Garden” (Encircle Press, 2016) and “Sad Havoc Among the Birds” (Turas Press, 2019)
