He breaths in short finalities
while his belly grumbles and sighs,
and I lie navigating all the little inuendoes.

I tug the sheet over one cold shoulder.
He rises to push the full blanket in my direction,
subsides grumbling and gruff and then 
those short steady breaths

in which sacrifice is measured.

When I rest my palm on the curve of his back
he startles: what's wrong?

shh. nothing. shhh