maya stein

 muscle

It was time - I could tell. All these months of vigilance and caution,

and I'd let my body go too soft. And while I saw the reward

of this new permeability - the way my heart stirred at the slightest pain

it witnessed - something in me needed a steel-eyed gaze forward,

traction, focus, and launch. So I began the only way I knew,

hauled myself to the sporting goods store for a set

of free weights, then drove home, posed before the mirror, and drew

my fists in until my biceps hardened, each muscle resolute.

I know it’s just the beginning, that there are deeper risks to take.

But for now, today, it’s good to feel a different kind of ache.