The thinnest metal

The thinnest metal
line into himself
he cannot help it
cannot help but
discard me

i in front of him
no closer than
the pharmacist
around the corner
i not looking
under a slivered
eye, watch
this vaccination

he bites his lip
at the unplunging
i bite my lip
at the squeamishness
of our disconnection
i am no midwife to pain
the tattooing of veins

silence with thickness of
i can’t help you
so, go help yourself
falling down at last
the end

the ferryman works well
from opposite banks
we throw
flowers
desiccated petals
falling like suns
below the horizon

i watch again
see, the stems
re-enter.