inspired by random and some not-so-random events and people in my life

Monday, August 29, 2005

The heart is neither a light bulb nor a tap.

It cannot be turned on or off at will, at a flick of a switch.
What makes you think its outpouring can be controlled,
a little more, please, or a little less?
Living muscle pure and simple,
it sometimes grows unexpectedly to fit one more soul in;
would it be that reversing the process was as simple.
Open-chest surgery is what comes to mind,
with scars the length of one's torso.
There are those whose hearts are attached to movement sensors,
emitting warmth and light only when someone is near.
How lucky they are to be able to conserve energy.
For those of us less blessed, the occasional breakdown will occur,
a fissure that grows into a chasm that morphs into a canyon.
Band-aids help (though not for long)
And for a friend, one with an elephant will have to do.