Babes in an Earthquake

My body hurt,
so I
unzipped
unbuckled
unsnapped
the extremities.

It would be a shame
if after my head and torso
are well-rested
I found my limbs in atrophy.

Before them, I set
a simple wooden chair,
photocopies of rehabilitation
exercises given after consultation
with physiotherapists.
A daily regime:
strength
conditioning.

I asked my partner to conjoin
with me in this extreme
meditative reaction
to modern life,
let loose the flailing
structures always on the go.
Always one for timid half-measures,
she unbuckled only her legs,
unwilling to abandon touch.

Babes in an Earthquake

We lie head-to-head,
pelvis-to-pelvis,
exchange nothing
but blood-flow hum.
As we drift further
into black nothing,
heartbeats rock us
like babes in an earthquake,
a foetal sensation,
as if our mothers remain running
for their lives.