between the vessels

my tears ripple into yours
the way your heartbeat
echos into my ear
as natural as breathing

you scare me as you read
into my open book
see past the front cover
& dive deep into meaning

i’ll pore over your pages
again & again; i’ll find
new meanings in your eyes
as they suck me out whole

see the muscles clench
& freeze in that moment
it takes all of me to not move
to not blink or flinch

i look away as i cry
as i plead for you
to read between the vessels
that crowd my iris

connect the veins
that intertwine
like the lines of vines
spiraling through me

you look so hard,
look too hard
not knowing
you’ll find you in me