At any given moment

I picked her up from the clinic
She held up the paper bag and
shook it
Size of a purse
she was to pop 8 a day
to preserve her
And I couldn’t look at her much
She kept talking rapidly
As if speech could outrun shame
and puffed along
with a knee against the dash
like we were on a leisurely drive
while others were out there,
mattresses sagged down to the box spring
Charmed by a chiseled chin and a
practiced smile
And he was there for them
At any given moment