Gus and Harley unpack a short story that offers a personal reflection on Billy Collins' poem "One Life to Live," revealing the author's emotional connection to the work based on childhood memories of watching a soap opera with the same title. The author explains how certain lines in the poem evoke dark, anxious periods from their past, where they would retreat into their mind to imagine a different life. While initially interpreting the poem as somber, the author also considers an alternative view, suggesting it might simply depict the routine nature of everyday life. The reflection concludes by mentioning the author's positive reaction to another Collins poem, "The History Teacher," and their discovery of his past role as Poet Laureate.