1/13/12

Fragile
By Matthew Nadelhaft

            THIS is not                               the END.

                                           When you left I felt part    of my heart go with you.

                                          Not the muscle that pushes blood around; that’s still
                                        thumping uselessly in my chest. But the part that throbs
                                            and makes music something more than sound, and

                                  sunshine more than light, squeezed between my

                                   ribs and tunnelled through my flesh. I can’t live

                                      with half a heart, so you should own both

                                                      parts. I bought this cooler to keep it

                                               fresh. The medical student I

                                                hired to operate will leave

                                                      it next to your bed,

                    where you’ll find

                        it when you

                            wake

                             UP.

- - -
Matthew Nadelhaft graduated from the Napier University Creative Writing MA Program and is the editor for Edinburgh spoken-word/storytelling group Illicit Ink. His short fiction has been published in An Electric Tragedy, Blood and Lullabies, The Reader’s Digest 100-Word Story Competition, Desire Magazine, and Zombies Ain’t Funny. He is a reviewer for Tangent and TangentOnline and has designed several boardgames, including the internet-hit “Oh No, There Goes Tokyo!” and an award-winning adaptation of Stephen King's "The Shining."