I fainted this morning.

For a few seconds, the world stopped spinning,

as planets hurricane-whipped
through winter air. Heaviness. Darkness.
Memory skipped a beat, time two beats,
life suddenly shown up, a scratched audio CD.

I opened my eyes, cheek on cement.
Today was the coldest yet.
Each boot thrust through ice
splintered the memory of hills.

At work, I utter this prayer,
Keep me on my two feet today.
I feel frail, …