vulnerability

sweep me

off my feet

but don’t come flying in

on your highest of horses

expecting me

to be kissing yours.

you think

connection

is yours to take?

sing me love songs

but if your intention

is sour

then do not waste my time

with smelly words.

struck by your soft touch

railed by your eyes

caressed by your sweet lips brushing on mine

plump and juicy like a ripe fig

enamored by your nectar

glamoured in your light

awakened in the dead of night

clawing and gasping for air to fill my lungs

and make me new again

falling in love with strangers who became friends

I don’t know the difference between love and appreciation

I really think they’re one in the same

there’s so much potential in meeting new people

now that I think about it

I might be in love with potential

well nevertheless

here I am

standing bare and exposed in front of you

what’s more naked than putting your heart on the line?

tired

the kind that seems impossible to crawl out of

i’m laying beneath layers of soil and skin

i seem to be moving

but my insides are in deep slumber

anchored in my weight

how can i describe defeat to you?

look clearly at my face and tell me what you see

eyes hanging low like the branches of an old tree

creases in places i’d rather be hiding in

my cheeks have lost their supple color

but my bones stay sharp in stature

continuing my pursuit in pushing this boulder up every day

just to watch it tumble every night

hoping to learn something new each time it falls