please be kind to people like that,
people who turn down the music
whenever it rains
because they are afraid
of how big the world is
and yet somehow comforted by
how small the sky makes them
feel when it opens up

please stay silent in the
passenger's seat as they greet
every spec of the universe
that comes quietly to their
windowsill,

be gentle as they
try to make sense
of space and time
and all the longing
...
those people are always longing

please speak softly
as they pull their knees into their
chest, just to feel closer
to themselves
because they forget
what the backs of their wrists
feel like sometimes
& that alarms them

please don't laugh
when they stare at their feet,
wondering how many miles
they've used up
and how many miles
they have left

please be kind to people like that