In the moment, I say
this hurts;
this nick at the corner of my mouth
that cracked open some day recently
in the past.

It will not heal
and keeps cracking anew
and I keep touching it.

I’m sure it will go on forever
like the last time and the time before that.

But the sensation is only felt
because last time
and the time before that
it healed.

And I’d forgotten.