With linen stretched and primed
I don't have the colors, enough
To paint you in

You with all your color and beauty,
You with all your verbose intelligence -
Keep all your beautiful words hidden under your tongue

Your hand searches nor finds me
When standing next to you -
Even in the shivering cold night air

I tell you now, I don't know -
If I can do without beautiful words
And bear untouched skin on the back of my neck

Fear is a cheap room -
A hollow cavity, housing nothing but yourself

With linens stretched and primed
To lie between -
We find there is nothing but truth

I tell you now, from this cheap room
I know what frightens you -

The heart is an involuntary muscle.