I haven't written or sent
Internal words that I hear in my head
To a man
In what seems like
Several moons.

I haven't had a chance to check in with
The lunacy of the moon tonight
Perhaps it resembles
Just how my insides feel.

Your rhythm and tune sweeps and quietly
Peeps its head into the cracks of my armor
"I'm just very guarded"
I said as you held me with your sweet teeth
And suckling lips mirroring inked wells
Covered in curated paintings and projected film scores.

In my minds eye
You hang paintings with your rusty tired hands
Covered in brightly colored patterns designed by only locals
Fashion, but its not fashion for you
Its the air that you breathe in and out of your mouth
Just as you recite poetic words without even a flinch
I cocooned myself on my brightly colored bed
I wore a silly bright sweater the first night I ever saw you perform
And my best friend said
"You look great. You look just like Mykele."

Cut from the same cloth.
I asked you in our almost summer wet Chicago kisses
Well, really
I told you, you had to write a rap about me now
As you replied with smiles and dreaded flowered hair
"How do you know I haven't already?"

You speak to me with the calmness of success, happiness
Grounding, that other men I have encountered
So desperately lacked
As they reached and tilted on the tip toes
Of their attitudes, wanting to be more
Than they could be
For me
I've been told and I've been warned
I've been told and I've been warned
Each time red flags appeared and angled and held themselves
High and low in the meat of my face

But you.
In your visceral dreams
I wear a swan
You colorful cats
We play on the wordage of the letter "m"
Your intellect and brain
Playing and dancing so well
Entwining with mine
But I don't feel like I dote on puppy love poetry
"We don't gotta be 16 about it."
A phrase you so carefully and articulately say
But I can so greatly appreciate
As you embrace me in moments where the art
Within us
Can perhaps become too much.

But I know on a whim I can call you
Express my artistic battles
And you so easily express
Beautiful intricacies
I otherwise would not have
Thought or been advised
On my own.

I don't know what this is
And I don't know what it will be
And I don't know what we doin'
But you are hella special.