why do we always remember the lips
the glimpse upward, the sigh, the gap
between their teeth? Never the whole
face, the angular pinky in the porch-light
the coarse hairs on a neck, the sight of a
jaw in motion, concave cushion when he
talks, never the whole body,
a single word, a single sound, a small
intonation, a rumble that stays, stays



stays.

I never really liked my name
until I heard you say it
with genuine & care
the way it flows through your mouth
leaves me breathless

You speak it like it's your own language
a code only you can decipher
like an inside joke just for you
the way you whisper it in my ears
filled with love & certainty

The way you pronounce it
every syllable like a music to my soul
the way you caress it
to convey conversations
makes my heart skip a beat

Whenever you mumble my name
I know only good things
comes out of it
for you want to
leave a mark, which is a smile on my face

You once said that if you could
you would make a poem
a song, a rap out of it
to show your appreciation & affection
of the wonder of my name

You used to express it
with lots of pride & integrity
you'd yell it out loud
until your out of breath
to tell others how my name
is so beautiful
that deserves to make a big deal out of itself

Until now I never really liked my name
because it reminds me you used to worship it
with loads of care & sincerity
now it just makes me feel broken
for I'll always remember
how you spoke my name
with your low husky soothing voice
that will always leave me breathless