Intimacy with PD
When I put his gait belt on
Bright yellow plastic
With a hard black plastic buckle
I feed the end through the buckle
Holding the buckle open
Careful not to pinch my fingers.
To tighten, my hands and arms
Encircle his waist.
Standing close
His arms around my shoulders
For stability.
Just for a moment we are closer
Than we have been for a while.
I click the buckle closed
And step back.
To safely walk
With the gait belt
I take his left hand
Into my left hand.
Fingers intertwined.
My right breast
Pressed against his body
As I reach behind him
To grab the gait belt
The back of my right hand
Between his back and the belt.
To move
We are forced to step out together.
My hands and arms in place
To catch him if he falls.
With the volume of his voice
Receding
And my ears ringing and
Hearing slightly reduced
We have learned to sit closer
On the small couch at home.
In the Y lobby
Moving the large chairs
Closer and closer
Pushing the end table between them
Out of the way
Closer and closer
Until the arms of our chairs
Touch.
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