numbness is a mysterious tyrant
because it’s hard to fix something
you don’t understand,
and it’s hard to paint the sky
when black clouds silently swallow the stars

and it’s hard to speak
when my thoughts can’t survive
the trek through my anxious lungs,
and it’s hard to be heard
when my words can only shake the air
around your jaw

and i’d be shocked that the quake of my voice
didn't shatter your bones like glass,
if that didn't suggest
i could feel anything at all

and i’d be shocked that the things i said
didn't crush you where you stand
if i didn't already know
that my words will bear more weight
when i'm dust


jjs