There is a small gap,
tangible, between like poles,
a pocket of air

held like a held breath.
The pressure of a hand can
force that gap to yield

a little, to gasp
a little, to resist just
a little, to flex

like a muscle. Brace,
brace. (Assume the position.)
The blood flows in and

out, a little. What
happens if those poles are forced
together is left

as an exercise
for the reader who has a
heartbeat, muscles,

and a fistful of iron.