5: put this in your pot

"Some of the most depressing moments of my life,"
I said,
"have been trying not to notice things die."

There was silence for a moment
except for the single fan turning in the window
doing little to wipe the perspiration from our brows.

Then he said,
"oh yeah.

"When I was eight my rabbit died.
"I went out to play with it every day for a week
"until the dog got into the cage."

I tilted my head in his direction.
The breeze from the fan brushed across my face.

"I couldn't ignore that it was dead anymore after that."

"No, I guess you couldn't."