you

pour sand in my mouth

when you tell me things

i already know about myself

the sand is brittle and hot

and coarse against my tongue

I cannot speak yet cannot swallow.

you

are sometimes loud yet sometimes soft

like the underbelly of a mewing kitten

you talk in hushed tones comfortable things

drawing maps on my skin with your words

that taste like cotton and melted chocolate

tell me what i want to hear.