our interactions are laced with buzzing
energy weaving in and out of the linings of our stomachs -
rollercoaster embroidery

your magnetism is a force I resist
in small doses, usually able to remain between in and out
in tentative stability

(i know what happens when stars collide but have you ever
thought about going out with a bang?)

i never want to leave you but i always must,
my mother is always calling and your honey hands
are slipping through my fingers

we are dots spread too far apart on a desperate timeline,
holding our breath for months at a time

we overflow each night but never empty,
repeated words sounding like old favorite records for when
you’re feeling safe and full

i carry my love for you like balloons
feel each step become a little lighter, laughter across miles
through invisible telephone wire

licking envelopes of handwritten letters
each time praying our weighted words stay safe within them
closing our eyes as we slide them in mailboxes

if i close my eyes tightly enough
if i breathe deeply into the crook of my own arm
if i spin your words around my head blurry fast
i can almost imagine you’re here next to me