i like the way the sun prickles my skin.
like it’s noticing me,
saying my name in heat.
i lie there and take it,
grateful to be wanted
by something so distant.

it burns slowly,
soft as a lullaby,
and i tell myself it’s warmth,
not warning.

i lie still,
my body blooming into color
like a secret i forgot to hide.
no one sees it.
but i’ll feel it later.

just like always.