clumsy

sometimes,
i wander through mazes
of clutter, stumble over stray toys
that talk back to me & over bits
of lego that bite at the soles
of my feet, unprotected
by socks worn thin.
tumbleweeds of dust &
slinky cats wind up
around my ankles, willing me
to trip & fall.

sometimes,
i forget to look behind
me, eyes fixed & straining to adjust
to the glare of horizon stretched out
ahead, oblivious to missing
bank cards & pennies & shiny
trinkets strewn out in
my wake, a jumbled path.
fairy tale breadcrumbs & notched
trees, a faded & unreadable
roadmap of the places
I've been to &
left.

sometimes,
i lose my words to crevasses
of raw nerves, exposed &
tap-dancing around
voices on the other end
of phone lines & dinner tables.
falling prey to the pitfalls
of leaning against speech
where such trust is unwarranted.
(in)capacities of language hang still
in the air & the slippery
divide between tongue &
throat.

sometimes.

sometimes,
i'm clumsy like that.