I am too long for a bath.
I need to make a decision between
lying down with bent legs
or sitting up with straight legs,
AKA cold dry knees v cold dry chest.
I do not relax in a bath.
I cannot drink red wine
and catch up on my stories.
I cannot think about my day
and scan how it affected my skin
or count the relationships
I haven’t lost yet or the things
I said to strangers in a voice
that isn’t mine.
When I am in a bath
I spend my time thinking
I am in a bath.

© Carl Burkitt 2023