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

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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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