Pivot

I forgot about the height of the curb

or maybe the curb moved an inch.

Now I’m sitting on the floor of the hall

watching the blue-purple bloom

spread out under the rim of my sock.

It’s such a small, functional thing,

this hinge that carries my whole weight.

Now it’s just a hot, throbbing knot,

a reminder that the body is a series

of failures waiting for a missed step.