i tend to like boys who are much cuter than i am.

and i tend to like it when they tell me stories
about how "cute" is just a matter of perception.

i tend to write poems about boys who will never read them.

and i pretend to know what i want,
but so long as we're being honest,
every time someone turns on the word friendship
it's another space heater
that could potentially burn this boy down.

i tend to fall for boys born of metal armor
who find themselves up to their necks in confidence,
because they'll never know how deep i have to reach,
and how much effort it takes
for my self-esteem to arm itself and march in their direction,
and they don't even stop to think about the process that occurs,
how my lungs work thoroughly with my brain before pushing the breath to my mouth to form words,
and they don't give any thought to how much back story there is when i approach with
"hey, i just wanted to tell you that... i think you're cute,"

and without pause they fire back, "you are too--
but i'm celibate."

i don't even know what that means.
i know what celibate means, i just don't know how that's an appropriate response.

i tend to like boys who don't make much sense.
who leave me dumbfounded,
retreating with white flags raised,
boys who teach me how to personify words like, unrequited.

corrugated, is a word.
i don't know what it means, but i know how it feels-
just cut along the perforated line and i collapse into myself-
i fall hard for any fluorescent sensation that ignites my chest and leaves me wondering if that's what love feels like.

10/20/2008

Author's Note: ...this is really a one line poem. everything else is footnotes. and nobody reads footnotes.

Posted on 10/21/2008
Copyright © 2024 Frankie Sanchez