[ museum of my heart ]
they come to visit often.
gazing at the lubricated bones of
my rib cage after it cracked.
they placed four walls of glass around it.
could not save it, you know?
the guard left. the doors opened.
the chambers fell. valves broke.
atriums and ventricles. up in smoke.
too much pressure to keep it alive pressed it.
an awe at my tangled heartstrings.
some discarded. some burnt.
epicardium intact. myocardium burgundy.
made into a showpiece.
‘they say hearts beat for an average of 6 minutes after they can't be treated again. after 10 minutes, the cells cease functioning and the heart will be effectively dead.
some hearts, however, can continue beating for years.’ *
mine wasn't strong enough to give a second life.
so they kept it
in a museum instead.
*in rare cases of ‘brain death’ only.
