My Cardiologist
My cardiologist tells me I have a stiff heart. I have never put the word stiff against the word heart. Certainly a heart can be cold and unyielding, and stiff can be a synonym for such unyielding, but the connotations organize differently and a kind of plasticity takes hold. Cold drops away as might the color unless I imagine the plastic model in my doctor's office with its red and blue bendable wires indicating arteries and veins. And, truth be told, my heart can be stiff especially in moments of regret.
April Krassner writes poetry and flash. She is interested in domestic politics and examining relationships to words and family. Her work has appeared in several journals both online and in print including Poetry Breakfast, Iconoclast, and Anderbo, among others.