my nocturnal heart
and yours
so quiet and so
strong
as i compare everything to
mine.

i hold on to
quiet night,
rainy lullabies
and sounds of your voice as it would sound
if you were as close
as my dreams portray you to be.

the constant whisper
our perennial existence
as it pushes air
in and
out
of our lungs even as we are enveloped in our
unconscious state.

feelings of my own ribs
against my skin
as they protect
my physical life support.

but the unseen?
the real heart
that felt for you
so much it gave reason,
there is no
Protection.

i find truth in
the night and
the common passerby
who don't pretend to know me
as well as i'd like to know myself.

and when you are sleeping,
i am awake,
ripping myself open
and letting these thoughts bleed through
as they'd like to.
and,
like a secret,
i still try to feel you when
light is gone.

for i am ashamed
as i am still afraid
of eyes seeing
my heart
and all it's worth.