The following I build is all for you

And so, twisted like smoke, fingers, palm, hand,

Creases folded over and over, the space between you and I

We practice the same ritual: wake up, speak once, sit close

Together, and wait for the sun to go down.

In the same stride, you hold your breath all the way down

To the details, the longing, the way you say my name, you

Find you know nothing about closeness

But comfort and vulnerability walk hand-in-hand

And nobody knows that better than I

You sit still like a portrait when I come around, and I

Notice how your eyes move, following circles down, down, down

Like you’ve got nothing to give, everything handed

To you on a plate, in a spoon, sugar-sweet, always taking, and you

Say we could never truly get close

What are you afraid of? Me? The words I

Could say? Metaphor, hyperbole, close-

Rhyme, and irregular rhythm has never stopped you

Bursting pillows open, dust instead of down

And before you knew it, you bit the hand

I should’ve known you’re triple-handed

Clutching doubt, obsession, and reluctance so tight; I

Can only hope you’ll learn, on the way down,

That your version of “enough” wasn’t even close

To being close enough to you