I took my blood pressure today per doctor’s instructions, removing the apparatus from the top of the laundry room closet, worried that it wouldn’t work. I strapped it on and watched the high number going down, wondering when it might stop, am I about to die. The mystery of it. And is this making it worse? I was one point above high blood pressure, if they call it points.

I set the hot sheet pan on the stove and stretched over the faucet and poured cold water into it and it tensed and buckled for a second then relaxed back into shape and the whole time it seemed alive, almost human.

I set the hot sheet pan on the stove and stretched over the faucet and poured cold water into it and it tensed and buckled for a second then relaxed back into shape and the whole time it seemed alive, almost human.