YOU were moving to a new place in the Village
and I promised I would help even though
I've a lot of lower back problems.
You promised you'd massage me.

At the end of an aching day of boxes
of self-help books, candles, your guitar,
a cat box, a TV set,
you rubbed my shoulder, three quick circles.

''There you go,'' you said,
not knowing that you left
a brand of heat that lasted
the three days I had to stay in bed.