the clinging pain of a head cold
carries me to my new optometrist
(my colleague’s twin: spiky hair,
flamboyant twerks, bow tie over stripes)

he misses my eye flaw
and rushes through the exam
till i catch his mistake
with my lack of double vision

off to parental/political-talk visit
and doldrum Saturday errands:
two-store grocery shopping
to pad our pockets with savings

home to walk under spring-sun skies
before slew of sleepover requests
inundate our three-day,
never-a-break weekend

i work out with Jillian
’cause she’s made me “big promises,”
pushing my runny nose and sore throat
under my double-vision life

the life that is filled with
everything i always wanted
and emptied with all i must give up
to have it