You
arrive like an echo —
seemingly distant,
yet you shatter my temples.
The thought of you
is warm.
Familiar,
it warms my heart.
But beneath my skin
pain spreads.
My legs refuse to move.
A ringing in my ears.
As if no one warned me
that touch
could tear me apart.
I want to return,
but every cell in me
pulls the other way.
I no longer know
if this is love,
or just self-defense
disguised as longing.
