The world looks different
when you always keep your head down -
I've studied all the oddities of my feet,
the details on your shoes,
the patterns in the carpet.
I've learned how to dance
without stepping on your toes,
and how to sing without raising
my voice above a sigh.
How to glide over the surface of things.
Perhaps I will never see sky
with my eyes glued to the floor,
but I'll be the first to know
when the bottom drops out from under us.
And then there are words fastened
to my tongue that will never feel their syllables
shudder in the cool breeze of candor.
Here's a question I won't release:
how high can you build something
on a foundation of eggshells?
The elephant in the room
is already cracking
                the stark
                    white
                       veneer.