maybe the night the entirety of my skin
sighed under the weight of your touch
you, boy of silence,
were deafened by my sound

maybe there was something in my kiss
that tasted too much like her

maybe there was something about my eyes
that reminded you of why
you were always afraid of the dark as a child

maybe it was some animal instinct
to flee to higher ground in the presence
of a flood

maybe you were reminded of the first time
you laid your hand on a hot stove
and the pain you swore you never wanted
to feel
again