Litany of Words I’ll Not Say

James Bowden

*Picture ME, standing an awkwardly middling
distance away from YOU. Presence has been
observed. What follows takes place in the space
before either of us learns to speak.*

may i?

                          a bridge could not

             I know you
                                       could
             need me!

                          how ever shall we

that I may be touched. that I may be
                                       held

                                       that my fears might be greater
                                       than my needs

                          That though I might be weak, I might be

                          That though I may be strong, I need not

                          That I might cease to be
                          this unloved, impossibly
                          distant
                                                    Object
                          along your periphery.

---

The vibe reminds me of this other poem I wrote: “One-Act Play In Which Everyone Takes Moral High Ground, Except My Cucumbers, & All Suffer”