Manual Override

The wire in my chest is humming again.

I’m at the door, keys in my hand,

but the kitchen is calling me back.

I press my palm flat against the coil.

It’s cold. It’s been cold for hours.

The dial says off. The light says off.

But I have to be sure.

When I blink, the red dot is still there,

hovering over the sidewalk,

a small, circular warning

that I might have missed the truth.