he told me that my ideas were stronger than my voice
and the metal frame shudders, threatening
to fall apart once and
for all.

look!
how rusted are the bolts, the washers nonexistent
with every movement, a creak and a groan and then
another bolt lost

she told me what they always say:
i would't if i didn't want to
unless, of course, you felt you had to
don't you see?
carefully manipulated by one
such as me

he told me there was no point in it,
in penning down words and phrases
of sifting through verbage to find what to say
because even if
even if someone listened (no one hears a thing),
it reads as
empty

so i wanted to try once more,
with feeling.