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