measured spaces between each word
vowels that curve into consonants
sentences that run off the page
where thoughts are left hidden
words crossed out, changed, revised
a bead of black ink
where your pen lingered on the page
and you lingered in your mind
sketches in the corner of the page
betraying a roaming disposition
signed love, crossed out
signed sincerely, crossed out
your name in bold letters
each line carefully drawn
in concentration
a Leonard Cohen quote
"I heard of a man
who says words so beautifully
that if he only speaks their name
women give themselves to him"
hurriedly written in the manner of an afterthought
and I could almost hear your voice resounding
with secrets of a life you didn't live
but not quite.
and then
folded with precision
and sharp creases
your fingerprint on a corner
smudged with ink from your thumb
intricate lines, arching, twisting
giving away a part of yourself
that I will keep hidden in a drawer
full of pages
covered in that same meticulous painted handwriting
placed in a white envelope
a piece of origami from your heart
sealed.
