i am always in the trees
and the sky that you see
or the flavors that touch your mouth

there's nothing that can be done about it

you need to stop leading me on.
you and you and you and you and you.
just leave me alone and grow up.
you boys and girls put a lot of stress on me.

even now, i'm almost as high as i want to be.

indulging in the first bite of the apple was always a thing for me.

and i take my time with it.

I used to build words
like a carpenter—
lines hammered out
plank by plank
word for word,
like bridges
spanning waters
for anyone
eager to cross.

And now
I write to meet the page
like aching skin,
like quiet water
hesitant to ripple—
careful to bear a mark.

All the words
I’ve sent off—
paper boats,
adrift.

I let them all go,
travelers,
and bridges alike,
let them sink or rise—
and let the tide
bring the words
home.