HOW TO CATCH A COLD

When I feel terribly small
my heart thins out
like a wisp of cloud;
is in danger
of being dissipated
by the slightest
puff of wind.

So this lonely person
shuts the window
and keeps warm.
Since he behaves
as though he had a cold
people ask him if he does.
No, it’s not a cold.
Not a cold at all.
But a man in the moment of
helplessness
can’t even find
the energy to set people straight,
so he just ends up muttering
that, yes,
he has a cold.

But then
consider this:
loneliness and sadness
come together,
and this helpless man’s body
radiates
a high fever
and darned if
he hasn’t caught a cold.

HOW TO CATCH A COLD