Caregiving
My Girl
Before the doctor told me
I could not leave her,
Not even for fifteen minutes,
Twice a week
I would rumble-race out of that house,
Wind-zip down the street to the el,
Jump on to 87th,
Haul-dash to the gym,
Stomp the treadmill
For forty-five minutes,
Then pull heavy arms
And thighs for fifteen minutes,
Rumble-race back to the el,
Ride the train in a soft sweat,
Then fast-charge
Down the street.
And one day
There she was.
Sitting on the gray stoop
Like a little lost girl,
Head turned in my direction,
Wistful, “You were gone a long time.”
I never went to that gym again.
