our words tiptoe around each other 
gingerly turn doorknobs 
for the thrill of finding one open  
more than the surprise of what’s within 
a soothsayer 
raspy and dreamy-eyed 
a monk in coarsely-woven layered robes 
a brightly-colored bird 
a just-discovered memory 
we handle each other like porcelain statues 
glossy foreign objects 
easily breakable 
too good to be true