as I lie face up
on the hospital bed
waiting for 5 stitches
in my hard Calabrese head
Ali says
your ekg was good
your heart is better
than a young person’s
and Adnan nods
his blood pressure too
it’s because you have
an empty heart
Ali says
empty I ask
no woman he says
no woman no pain
Adnan smiles
a little laugh
some sad recognition
of a truth
they both share
and I think
maybe it’s time
to fill it
here in a city
among true friends
for even some pain
is better
than lying empty
and unused