Caregiving

Before the doctor told me

I could not leave her,

Not even for fifteen minutes,

Twice a week

I would rumble-race out of that house,

Wind-zip down the street to the el,

Jump on to 87th,

Haul-dash to the gym,

Stomp the treadmill

For forty-five minutes,

Then pull heavy arms

And thighs for fifteen minutes,

Rumble-race back to the el,

Ride the train in a soft sweat,

Then fast-charge

Down the street.

And one day

There she was.

Sitting on the gray stoop

Like a little lost girl,

Head turned in my direction,

Wistful, “You were gone a long time.”

I never went to that gym again.