Did I ever tell you I love you?
Must have slipped my mind
once or twice,
or maybe every time I saw you.
But I'm in denial of the possibility
that I deliberately didn't mention it,
being too scared to do so.
Once or twice I thought it would slip out,
slide off my tongue,
or in an otherwise inappropriate manner.
Because that's how these feelings are,
like a frantic bird
trapped inside my ribs.
So I'd like to apologize silently
for reasons you will never know,
and hope that you won't notice
when I'm gone.



-e.r.n.