Heavy Lifting

The cashier asked if I wanted a flatbed

and I just shook my head like a fool.

Now there’s two hundred pounds of mulch

sitting in the trunk and my spine is a zipper

someone is trying to pull apart.

I’m driving home with my teeth clamped shut.

The vein in my forearm is thick and blue,

beating against the leather of the wheel.

It’s a heavy price for a little pride

and a yard that’s still going to have weeds.