Paper Crane Lullabies

It was behind closed eyes, 

That I was counting 

Chided and shushed in a harmony of nothing

Anxiety hot beneath the skin of my ears

Burning like the dull glow of coals at four in the morning 

Each syllable a tally mark on the back wall of my brain 

Pushed through a thick thrum of wishing 

No more words would fall from my lips

Until it felt normal to push 

And strain to drip 

thick consonants from betwixt my teeth 

Until you 

Face pressed soft into the small of my back 

Your breath hung on a wreath 

of paper crane lullabies 

Did the words feel as though 

they were flowing from somewhere 

Sincere 

And suddenly there was meaning to the moments

That I opened my mouth 

And sang out broken fragments of my heart 

To your waiting ears 

For you to hold, relinquish 

And hear 

Me