Playing Telephone

Sometimes it’s a parent’s birthday

or a  project rotting alongside the

morbid tick tock of a deadline

 


This time

it’s a speeding car knocking you off

you body flatlining

in defiance with gravity for seconds

 


The car is dented


You were unscathed with feet back to the ground

 


I’m holding a paper cup to my

ear trying to understand the

nothings you mouth on the other end

The child in you muses whenever someone

pretends to listen

You’ve been playing telephone for too long

 


We’ll play hide and seek

I’ll go hide

You come find

We'll take turns playing dead till you pick up

A real phone

dial a real number to a

Real person

 


Look I’ve been scathed

I’m healing

I’m breathing

 


Let me breathe life into you

Because I wish the car had knocked life into you

“Let me breathe life into you”