i have been thinking about what makes a person beautiful.
maybe it's the way the cold bites at her cheeks
the kind of sting that leaves them red and raw
barefoot on the wooden surface of the deck
leaving behind sawdust wherever she goes.
maybe it's the way he smiles at me
that one time i mustered up the courage
to make an air heart at him during chemistry class.
i wish i hadn't glanced away so quickly, so shyly
so i could get a second's more pride in that smile.
maybe it's how the intense pounding of fear
makes your knees bounce, or how an errant teardrop
threatens to spill over your eyes, like a cup overfilled.
my head hurts when i'm scared.
my heart hurts whenever i care.