((the words I swallowed))

words are powerful—
far too powerful for me to be trusted with
and yet, for some reason, I was trusted.

my words have too much potential
and they’re hard to contain here in my head
they try to slither over my tongue
and between my teeth
and out into the world
but I clamp my lips shut and
swallow them
because even a whispered word
can be overheard
and destroy the bond between us.

my swallowed words rest inside my ribs,
just behind my sternum,
and they writhe and shift, pressing into my lungs
until it’s hard to breathe, expanding until I’m sure
my ribcage will break open and they’ll burst
right out of me, despite my best efforts, but for now,
they stay trapped inside me,
waiting to be freed.

waiting to destroy me.