fragile
like the thick words written on a box
like the porcelain skin of a glass doll
fragile is a word that can be described by a light bulb
or the screen of a phone when faced with the clumsiness of its owner
fragile is a moment when a letter in a bottle floats toward a dock
a moment when a bird’s nest has to overcome the wind’s every attempt
fragile is a word that can be described by me in this moment
and maybe I think too much about things,
like the anticipation in your eyes
or the way you smile even when it’s raining
fragile can describe my heart in this moment
when I can’t even know why you smile
I don’t even know the reason behind your looks
fragile can describe myself today
like a rose caught up in a thunderstorm
and I feel like that porcelain doll
but with a real smile that illuminates my whole self
a smile with a reason
a smile inspired by fragile words
even if you didn’t mean for them to be fragile
because growing up
I didn’t know that I
was going to be
fragile