My government felt very far away. I was shopping for wedding rings. Neighbors called off work. Waiting for the blacked-out-window ambiance to pass. No one was coming for me yet. I kept up with a gratitude journal. Bought more paste to slather on my blemishes. No diamonds— I don’t like to think about the children in the diamond mines. I’ll get a solid band, I think. No one was coming for me yet. When they do, maybe I’ll be half of a pair of matching metal.