“if i fell in love with you,
you'd be the only one who wouldn't know.
i'd never smile at you because i'm
afraid you'd return it and free the butterflies in my ribcage.
i won't ask for your name
not just because i would already have found out but
mostly due to the fact that
you might ask me for mine and the
sound of my name at the tip of your tongue
will ignite the sort of fire that will burn me into ashes from the inside out. i won't let you hold my hand
because the thought of your skin on mine
tires me out enough at night without my heart
aching for another touch.
i'm never going to
tell you i love you because i know,
everything that i have ever loved
either
crumbled to debris
or ripped me apart.”