In the crowded street,  
a stumble, a twist,  
my foot over the edge  
of a forgotten crack.  

Eyes blink, faces turn,  
laughter hides behind hands,  
and I, a moment caught  
in slow-motion fall.  

Heart racing like a drum,  
I gather my dignity,  
dust off my knees,  
and smile through the blush—  

a tiny trip in the dance of life,  
reminding me,  
we all wobble sometimes.

The tread on yer shoes aint there.
The tread on yer shoes aint there nowhere.
Worn out beyond compare, the whole pair,
so you slipped off yer **** and fell down the stairs!
Ya hollered and yelled the moment ya fell,
but no one came to help!
A loud KABOOM, but no one in their rooms
could even hear ya yelp!
It rained that night ya stepped outside
to a nasty tumbling blunder!
Cuddled up, cozied up in our beds
cause we all just thought it was thunder.

Stomp Stomp Stomp like an old wet mop,
you was mad as a hornet's nest!
Had to sit through what happened to you,
and you made sure of it!
Said you was out there just a cryin for help,
while everyone just stayed put.
You reminded us again of what happened to you,
then bent over and showed yer ****.

Not sayin that this matter is a funny disaster.
But seein that yer fine, don't mind the laughter!

Better go get new shoes today,
or this might happen again.
Land on yer **** like that, I say,
and you might just break yer chin!

When you giggled through the telephone
Telling me how you just ****** some coke dealer
And i’d never see you again
it was a beer bottle to my head
You wore hubris like a **** wears hublot
Everyone seemed to know
All about your misery
But you
To you
Your tears were salt for your tongue
Your sighs were air from your lungs
When you whimpered through the telephone
Telling me how you just ****** some coke dealer
And you never want to see him again
It was a beer bottle to my head
I never was too
fond of coke ******
But to see your newfound acceptance
Of your own true nature
Was a King
Reduced to kneeling
Was a Lion
Left to observation

Why do I feel embarrassed,
That no one has the heart to hold me?

Why do I feel embarrassed,
That no one has the guts to save me?

Why do I feel embarrassed,
That no one has a mind that can see me?

I met you in the winter, and I remember
Your hair burned like autumn leaves.
Like a fresh cup of coffee on the skin,
Like embarrassed, flushed red cheeks,
And like the suffocating stage lights.

I wished my tone was as warm as yours,
I wished my brain was as bright as yours,
I wished my words were as illuminating as yours.
But for now, all I can do is help you
Clean up your mess with my cold hands.

You always ask me
what I'm thinking of
and I must admit
if you knew my
true thoughts
you will never see
me the same again.

Constantly I am
thinking about
how I could
possibly feel
beautiful at night
when I eat anything
during the day.

I can't tell you this
because you might
worry for me.
You would say
I am beautiful always.

While this helps
it feels as though
you are putting
a band-aid on
a cavernous wound.
One that was small
many years ago,
but recently was infected,
left untreated and
ignored because of
how ugly it is to me.
I am embarrassed
that I love you more
then I love myself.

So I won't reveal
what I'm truly thinking
to you ever.
Instead I smile,
blush even,
and say I cannot
stop thinking of you.

You hate the gray in your hair.
I hate my weight.
You hate your freckles.
I hate my dimples.
We both hate when we get pimples.
You don't understand why people love your nose.
But that's the way it goes.
These things embarrass us.
But honestly, they're the best parts.
Because we find proof that we're human in the reflection
given off by these things we call imperfections