I don’t fall in love with people’s words.
I fall in love with their lack of words.
I fall in love with those moments of pure frustration
when you clench your jaw and lower your head.
I fall in love with those moments of absolute awe
when you bite your lip and widen your eyes.
I fall in love with confusion and the way
you release it into nonsense that I have to decode.
I fall in love with embarrassment & your rosy, red skin as you fumble to think.
I fall in love with fear; the way you stare at a blank screen on your phone,
occasionally running your thumbs over it like a security blanket;
they won’t ask you questions if you look busy.
I fall in love with the different ways you learned to tie your shoes.
I love just watching how some people do knots and some do bows
and I like to imagine their mothers kneeling beside them
& guiding their fingers through the lace.
I love the way your face goes pale when something pains you.
I love the way you get silent when you think too much
and how your best friend sits beside you, and tries not to make it obvious.
I love the way you smoke your cigarette like it’s the last you’ll ever have
& the way you choke back tears.
But, even more, I love the face you make when you finally let them out.
I love the apathy in your voice when you don’t feel like following the crowd
& the way you’re so passive with suggestions but never admit you don’t want to be here.
I love the way you cover your own eyes with the palm of your hand
during the scary scenes, even though you can just close them.
I love the way your head bobs forward when you’re trying to stay awake
& the way you curl it into your shoulder when you give up & succumb to sleep.
I love the way you sigh when you’re disappointed
and the way you try to hide that smile
when you hear good news for the first time in a long time.
I love the way you fall into the beat of a song you like
and the way you block your ears to that **** you hate.
I love the way you stuff your hands in your pockets when you’re cold
and clench your stomach when you’re hungry.
I love the way you describe love.
I love the way you think you’re in it.  
I love the way you walk when you’re in a hurry.
I love the way you yawn and the way you sneeze.
I love the way you laugh when nothings funny.
I love the way you hide your scars behind your sleeves.
I love the way you look away from me.
I don’t fall in love with what people show me.
I fall in love with what they are hiding.