light through glass

**

it can feel like we're binary stars
our mutual gravity unquestioned
but lacking shared language
to articulate our churning cores

it's never been about conversion
never about
a will to bend a will
some shine-like-me-or-I-won't-shine-with-you thing
no.
less galactic, less ultimatum-scented

more
here's what I know I need
and it may not be here

more
honoring a need in me
is not about a deficiency in you

in other words
gravity is necessary
but not sufficient

at least that's how I've heard it
how I've worked to feel myself
more than void
something other than absence

**

toward the start, it felt like like respect meant not saying that I don’t hold dear what you hold dear because I don’t believe in it.

recently, though, my heartmouth has unclipped its speech, been less fearful of its lips.

because respect is also saying that I do hold dear what you see in what you hold dear because I see those things in other things.

a matter of refractions.

I think.

Right?