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I cock my head to the side

I hear the numbers like a nursery rhyme

or a hook from a persistent earworm

It reminds me of the songs I learned at school

to remember Henry’s 8 wives, or some other long-forgotten trivia

My heart leaps giddily as I hand you the number

A text from a lover, an acceptance letter from that school

A job rejection, a sob from a loved one

I say those numbers like a chant, a wish, a spell