Rudy Francisco: Ouch

Yesterday, I injured myself
and the explanation didn't make sense.

I said, "Well, I was walking..."
and that was the end of the story.

At this age,
my body is a stranger that I
keep meeting over and over again.

The words "I am" are slowly
transforming into "I used to be"

because every year,
the past tense finds a larger house
inside the neighborhood of my
everyday vernacular.

I am slowly realizing that
when the skeleton is new
and the bones are vibrant,

they coerce the mind into
thinking the days will pass,
but the flesh will not.