mantras

i say them with my

mouth closed

meanings slam around like

bouncy balls and

i swallow

my stomach is a playground

i really do have

chutes and ladders

for ribs

the things people say

make no sense

when measured against

their actions

i am all at once

a stubborn believer

and a fragile cynic

which is beautifully

infuriating

why can’t it all

mean something more?

when i speak

i sound like a

symphony tuning

right before the lights

go down

then, finally, a hush

i listen for the rhythm

to appear

it really can

happen