It slips out
like a small pebble—
a sound
quick to settle
but sending rings
wide enough
to cause a shockwave

Not a word
that needs a door
or a window—
just floats in
soft as cotton
powerful as lint
finds a place
to lean against my heart

It is not the word itself
but the way it lands—
as if you cast a net
without asking
if I wanted to be caught