Impossible Terms

wisps of smoke curl in the air
carrying unspoken words
deciding to be written

in this most compact space
how does one convey:

longing without loneliness
desire without despair
passion without passing out
lust without loss
frustration without freedom

the gradients and intersections
crosshatching so light
you can hardly make it out

feed fresh flame
light licks long fingers
clouds come crawling across

I would rather just
look into your eyes
and have you know
like you always do

sometimes I open my heart
and all the words escape
scampering into the night

sometimes the words
just won’t shake free


words are funny that way