she pours her morning coffee
with the same care as dressing an open wound
slowly, gently, no room for error
a burn hurts no matter if its above or below the skin
eight years and counting since she kissed her loverÂ’s lips
or a man saw a world apart in her eyes
no one else has ever been allowed so close to even know their color
sheÂ’s spent more than sixteen million minutes breathing
and she still doesnÂ’t know how to stand
working a life away for lack of knowing what else it could be for
working a life away for fear that she might find out

03/26/2006

Posted on 03/27/2006
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