New Pulse

Skin so thin I see the blue veins,

faint rivers tracing a fragile map.

Tiny fist grips my finger—so tight,

like holding onto time’s last scrap.

Breath uneven, shallow and raw,

heart thumping an uneven beat.

All the world shrinks to this soft weight,

a silent storm beneath gentle heat.

The nurse steps back, room fades away,

only the smallness that shudders and clings.

Every pulse a universe opening,

held tight beneath my trembling wings.