Favoring One Side

Favoring One Side

Because the left ankle wobbles,
the right ankle thickens, compensates.

The sore tooth rests. The others
swoop in, rise up against bread and soup.

One shoulder an inch closer
to the ear, and on the opposite side, a rib

tugging away from the core.
The body is protective of itself, favoring

one side when injury assails
bones, loosens tendons. We’ve got this

under control, double of almost
everything. What isn’t duplicated in us

is at least hooked to a substitute,
and it comes rushing in should we need

it, should we give it a little yank.
We borrow it and it is ours. Our sturdy grip

exists because it did not used to,
but we needed a sling, a shield, a cradle.