let the shower warm the pipes. do not undress.
sit in the damp room away from the mirror. it is
warm and quiet. do not cry. or go ahead and cry.
choose the option more difficult. breath holding prevents
crying. eye pokes provoke it. ask: could this
make things harder? if the answer is yes, do it.
gather from the kitchen vodka or beer. wine is for
quieting sadness; whiskey, anger. no ice.
ice is for parties and this is silence. remember:
the crowded cab ride along central park west,
feeling that it would not be the last.
it was, but at the moment it was the first of many.
when the steam makes wet the toilet and walls
and skin, empty the glass in the sink. but for now
make no phone calls. touch the grout in the tile.
any hair found, throw away.