Middle

The truth is lying on the bed sheet

covered by the duvet

It is touching her back tracing the vertebrae

 

He lets out a sigh

she flicks her big toe against the next toe

hard so that the bed vibrates

which means / has come to mean

that she can’t sleep until they are

closer to the part of the sheet covered by the duvet

where they will try not to forget each other

 

She touches the truth

when he gets up for water

it doesn’t shudder just stays there straighter, stiffer

 

Now he hugs his own body

holding the parts he believes

no he knows make him male and stronger

and she feels the bed’s sharpness and jerks with her chest

just enough so he thinks she is sobbing and

the truth is still lying on the bed sheet covered by the duvet

where they will try not to forget each other