say anything
here’s a poem i wrote on the plane before falling asleep.
you do not say anything
you do not say i will keep running yellow lights forever and i only apologized sincerely in hopes that you wouldn’t slap me with a moving violation
you do not say so how long do you think their marriage is going to actually last
you do not say “lovely” or “nice” unless your intention is to signify a serious agenda not to offend
you do not say actually it wasn’t the dog who farted, it was me, both times
you do not say i never loved you
you do not say the reason i was so long in that bathroom stall was because i was texting and checking my email
you do not say i honestly regret having had children, even though i love the ones i have, really, truly, deeply
you do not say that you’d actually been bold-faced lying when you said you’d be 15 minutes late, maybe 30 tops (you knew you’d be 45 minutes late. that was the truth.)
you do not say the strangest feeling came over me when i was driving home from work today and started driving 115 mph fantasizing about what it would be like to drive straight into a tree and die
you do not say nigger unless you’ve seriously contextualized it in an attempt to make it meaningful
you do not say i just called to say i love you but also can you run up to my place and make sure the cat didn’t get out (if you JUST called to say i love you, you can’t have an agenda about the cat. honestly).
you do not say i’m terrified to do this all by myself and nobody will really help me
you do not say i’ve been standing here this whole time, actually, watching you but you didn’t know it
you do not say i have no interest in a single thing you’ve said to me for this whole conversation
you do not say you do not get what the big deal is about the beatles (this is doubly true in the UK)
you do not say i love you to complete strangers even when you’re convinced you do. really. love. them.
you do not say i hope you don’t mind that i used your toothbrush even though we’ve just met and i just used your bathroom and you thought i was just texting and checking my email
you do not say you’re afraid of getting old, dying, being alone and being unhappy and never recognized or truly seen by another person
you do not say i think it really is the end of the world as we know it and i feel fine
you do not say anything unless you’re john cusack and you have a ghettoblaster and peter gabriel on a cassette tape at the ready
you know it
you do not say anything.
