i know a boy
who sits behind me
always tapping his pen
tapping
and tapping
fingertips spelling
i am anxious
i know a boy
who walks me to class
looks at me before I leave
his foot keeps
tapping
and tapping
and I keep waiting
for him to tell me goodbye
so I can go to class
i know a boy
who cannot stop
like a car alarm on
christmas morning
like police sirens
underwater
a boy
afraid of the pause
the rest, the wait, the halt
the slow motion of eyes meeting,
elbows accidentally touching
words becoming deep breaths,
hesitating instead
I know a boy
who is still a child
and over and over,
i loved him "still"