i’ve lied
all this time,
waiting for your voice to call
“can you hear me?
are you okay?
talk to me.”

but can you feel the fury for me?
the smallest trickles of sweat—
golden on my face
—will love you in the shade.

can you mean it when you tell me
you want to stay silent?
or my feet will feel weak
and my legs will crumble
and i will find myself straying away to the road.

i need anyone,
but i want you.
i want to be held halfway between heartbeats.
i want an answer, delivered in the quiet midnight blue.

but maybe i won’t hear you,
and the world will stay just as cruel to the both of us.

but even then,
free me from my stasis.
even so, hold my hand with fervor.
this may be all it looks like,
but whatever grows beyond here,
carries more than just the unknown.