Unconscious
Janet Kuypers 
07/11/11
I was unconscious 
thirteen years ago 
thirteen years ago 
I had been unconscious 
for almost 130 minutes 
and then was unconscious 
for almost thirteen days 
I internally laugh 
when I count in my head 
the thirteen steps I take 
in the dark 
for my cat to hear 
as I make my way  
to the next storey 
to my bedroom 
thirteen... 
they say it’s an unlucky number 
but 
it wasn’t on the thirteenth 
when I almost died 
I think I’m just 
trying to connect 
some imaginary dots here 
right now 
I have no power 
at my home 
and I sit here 
thinking of how 
I had no power 
to breathe on my own 
thirteen years ago 
and it was almost thirteen days 
before I started breathing again 
and I’m still 
gasping for air 
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