Mercury Rising
by tenderhugo
· 16/10/2025
Published 16/10/2025 13:09
The house is a hum of stagnant, heavy heat
now that the grid has finally clicked off.
I dug through the cabinet, past the Band-Aids and the gauze,
until I felt the thin, cold spine of the glass.
I had to shake it hard to get the red line down,
watching the heavy silver bead retreat.
My thumb felt the ridge of the ancient markings
while the sweat pooled behind my knees in the dark.
I held it up to the window’s fading glare
and saw the stubborn red line hovering.
Just above a fever, even in the shade,
waiting for the air to decide what it wants to be.
It’s a fragile thing to trust with the truth,
this little straw of poison and measurement.
I put it under my tongue and waited for the click,
but the house stayed silent and the mercury stayed spent.