The vitamins were marked down to a dollar

The vitamins were marked down to a dollar,

a neon orange sticker over the expiration date.

I stood in aisle four until my collar

felt too tight, a small and sudden weight.

I’m folding laundry now, the heavy kind,

thick wool socks meant for a colder room.

I keep them at the bottom so I don't find

the way the winter didn't start to bloom.

At 3:00 AM, the kitchen has a sound—

the microwave clock blinking out the time.

Zeroes and ones that never touch the ground,

while I sit and wait for the sun to climb.