Damage

She felt her age
the same way
you know
which branch’ll
snap when you
reach in
to pull out the
dead ones. It
wasn’t just the

way it looked
but a stiffness
that she felt
creeping in in
that same quiet
way a sunburn
sets, not
showing itself until
later when it’s

too late to reach out
and shake your shoulder
as you sleep just
a few yards shy
of the shade. Stoking
a stiffness that
couldn’t be
undone.