REASON OUT

Express yourself—

but how do you express
" "

Food is fuel.
Tastes like… just food.
When did it stop fueling
and start taking?

We talk of rain
and new shoes.
It passes time.
Time passes.

Work keeps the walls
from falling in.

He drifted.
Gender? Neglect? Silence?
Too young to grow alone.

She sought warmth
in another's arm.
Fear of being stranded?

He dissected love with a ruler:
"Prove it matters."

He stopped speaking
when we needed words most.
Fear of being wrong?
Or fear of us choosing wrong?

How do you learn tenderness
when trust feels like surrender?

You wear armor.
You rust.

But—
he leaves fruit on my desk,
a small sun.

She works through fever, shame, and tired.
Bent but unbroken.

He asks, "Did you eat?"
Voice like worn cloth.

What should I feel?
I reason out.

Tell me:
Why feel at all
if it changes nothing?

I reason out.

What is this feeling?
I reason out.