Measuring the Heat

The chill wraps around me, a creeping dread,

i check the thermometer, lies buzz in my head.

A digital readout flashes something small,

a number too high feels like a vast fall.

With each fevered breath, I search for the truth,

searching for solace, some lost trace of youth.

But each small tick tells me I’m back in the race,

my body a puzzle I can’t seem to place.