a careful man

you celebrate your sterling
blood test, the results
all a string
of happy negatives
with a cold martini
at the local bar.
you print out the document
and laminate it,
attaching a string
through two holes you've
punched in at the top.
it swings on the front
of your shirt like
a placard. you are a racer
doing the second half
of this marathon.
you've dodged a machine gun
worth bullets somehow.
luck, the grace of God,
good timing, the alignment
of planets and stars.
you think about playing
the lottery or rushing
off to vegas to take advantage
of this good news.
you ignore the attention
and winks
of the woman at the end
of the bar, flashing her
long legs from under a red dress,
she blows you a kiss,
but you turn away.
you are a careful man
from this point on.