So fragile and so fickle
Are the hearts that beat within:
Keep us walking,
Keep us warm,
Keep us up at night in fear.

Evolution built a ribby cage
And nervous flesh to bind it in,
Yet my loving, near-to-bursting heart
Isn’t safe
And can’t be kept
From pounding out these siren calls
In search of like-willed friends.

I am bound and joined to many men,
And women,
Girls and boys,
I am ******* in their highs and lows,
Their hopes and doubts and lusts,
Their demons and their damage, too,
All sing across these wires.

We orchestrate a symphony,
Vibrations thrum and twang,
A multitude of melodies
That rise from taut-strung care:

We sing the body infinite,
We ring the bells of heaven,
We chant forth ancient forces,
And serenade the stars.

But also,
Often,
Always,
Still…

Discordant notes strike clear

And my fragile, fickle, fine-tuned heart
Has small defense against the din.