passing by

close your eyes and tell me what you see. the same stars.
if i never opened my mouth, i could still tell you secrets. these burdens
are not by choice. hidden things crawl under my skin. peel
my layers (onion-girl) and dive in.

but no no
wrong path

bruises appear on my skin like flowers sprung up from overnight desert rain. i lose
myself in the backs of my hands. inertia, yes i understand. but no i do not. even
after time (and time) i do not understand. i am like a child in all my whys.

like a child, too small to fit
loving maybe and
oh

these shells
if you held me to your ear, you would not hear the ocean