i am a poet

i see things that no human ever should:

the intricate coding of life

an emotion held by the gaze of one person to another

a tear falling silently that helps grow a daffodil.

i am a poet

i hear things that even a dog can't:

the crack of a mother's heart as the casket is lowered

the blow of the wind carrying messages between lovers

a silent prayer offered up to the universe.

i am a poet

i feel things too sharply and deeply:

rage that burns like a rioter's molotov cocktail

despair that drowns like sinking into honey

resentment that stings like a betrayal from a lover. 

i am a poet

i understand things i wasn't meant to know: 

why true happiness is an illusion

why real emotions are so highly sought after

why people do the things they do.

i am a poet

the right hand of my muse

always processing and internalizing the things

no one else can bear the burden of as

the ink from my quill stains my fingertips

forming delicate tattoos, letting everyone know

i am a poet.