Marc Swan
Infatuation
Most of the men at the shelter
are harmless voyeurs,
but there’s something about John -
the way he looks at her,
the way they connect
she says, without touching.
She buys him unfiltered cigarettes
and coffee at McDonald’s,
Burger King; takes him with her
on day trips to town, to the beach;
spends time with him
when he’s hospitalized;
worries that maybe
this is the time
he won’t come back.
She talks about the what ifs:
what if the schools,
his friends,
his family,
hadn’t given up;
what if the doctors
found a cure
that would keep him clear
all the time;
what if she held his hand
and they walked
until the demons went away -
no matter how far
or how long it took.
Page(s) 31
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