small black bug zoomed into my dining room
I recoiled, my first impulse to stomp him—
as if he heard my thoughts, he froze so still
there he stayed, bracing for my sole of doom
as I looked down, I thought of my young friend
who messaged me to come pick up her books
she said the ER gave her shocking news:
it was aggressive, too late stage, too late
gently, I slid a paper under him
it was just a few steps to the back door
had to coax him, unsure, off the paper
felt so good to watch him seize his pardon
hoping that a god I don’t believe in
looks down at my friend and sees her, frozen
gently slides her onto second chances
—surely with a heart at least as kind
