You are holding up a ceiling with both arms.
It is very heavy, but you must hold it up,
or else it will fall down on you.
Your arms are tired, terribly tired, and,
as the day goes on, it feels as if either your arms
or the ceiling will soon collapse.

But then, unexpectedly,
something wonderful happens:

Someone, a man or a woman,
walks into the room and holds their
arms up to the ceiling beside you.

So you finally get
to take down your arms.
You feel the relief of respite,
the blood flowing back
to your fingers and arms.
And when your partner’s arms tire,
you hold up your own
to relieve him again.

And it can go on like this
for many years
without the house falling.


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