i use to highlight all of my favorite parts
of every single poetry book i ever read
covering the lines in neon yellow
notes scribbled on the side
of how a certain line made my heart drop
i use to doggy ear the pages
of my most favorite poems
or just so i wouldn't lose my spot
but you hated the splatters of neon yellow
and the scribbles of intimacy on the side
you disliked my folding of the corners
it was silly to leave my mark on a book
that wasn't even mine
no longer does neon yellow ink trace my favorite lines
pages are free from crinkled corners
and notes about the way the artful lines
made my heart do flips
and made my eyes drip
just black and white pages
no trace that i have ever been there
for now
i feel everything in silence
you made me silent