He wouldn’t have loved her whole,
but when he became half a man,
he loved her wholly,
for she was willing to be
his more able half.

In the worst of times,
she wanted to set their life on fire,
drown his sorrows with gasoline or
punch hers into confetti,
for the entire picture was too painful
to take in all at once;
in the best of times,
she forgot the worst of times.

He took a vow,
she took an oath.
Though his wife was difficult,
& her terminal patients were
in pain,
they remained steadfast,
but when his wife left him
& a particular patient passed away,
he found refuge in the nurse,
& she,
as a wife with but 1 patient:
her husband.