i keep you at a distance

table lengths away

assessing my prey

to see whether you're a worthy opponent

can you tangle yourself

in the depths of my hair

tumble down a deep dark heart

like Alice, you're in wonderland

where the unfamiliar is only common

can you survive the jungles of this temper

get eaten by the tigers that roam

in between the laughter and conversations

or will you drown

in the silence

and wish you had never known me