after meditating, i realize that as in rome,
the spine does not collapse in a day.
it does, however, collapse over many
wake-ups and exhales and uneaten meals
and probably also the weight of time passing
at yellow lights. like the slow close of eyes
rolling back into sleep, we wait.
our bones soften in the wake of our bodies
and we look back at our changing
selves blurred by sunspots,
faces covered in shadow and joy
the way a sun dial is both
colosseum and ultraviolet.
Shelbi Church is a poet based in Boston, MA. She earned her BFA in creative writing from Emerson College. Her work can be found in Hobart, the lickety~split, and 86 Logic.
Eunoia Review 
Well done!