Google: trouble breathing comma heart racing by Lukas Ray Hall

on the couch counting
my heartbeats. pointer & middle
pressed against the lump
in my throat. with every thump
nostrils attempt to reel in air but
like a stubborn fish, i’m left
gasping & empty, gutless.
i am suggested to dial 911
if i think this is a heart attack
& how would i know
if this one is a heart attack?
i’ve never had a heart
attack before. a blockage,
a shortage, the arrhythmic
pounding of blood flow. sure,
i’ve seen those words before
but I don’t know
what those words mean.
do i have mild indigestion,
sure. i have night sweats
& fatigue but is that not normal?
i am told not all heart attacks
are alike so how am i to know
if this is like the others
or if i’m unique or if the dinner
i just ate was too large
& my diaphragm is struggling
to compensate for the bloat.
Lukas Ray Hall holds an MFA from Pacific University. They are the author of 'loudest when startled' (YesYes Books, 2020). Their poems have appeared in The Florida Review, Moon City Review, & Atlanta Review, among others. They live in St. Paul, MN. Twitter: @lukasrayhall.