nothing.

i stare at this sheet

someone asked me

“what are you writing about?”

i said, “nothing.”

when you secretly smiled

in my peripheral sight

i caught that curve in the crowd of parallel lines

at school hand on your chest

eyes on my neck-aching focus

the chords i struck,

the pluck of tabs with my four string

on the ceremony of innocence

sweat sprinting in the sun

reaching our arms and run

on river rocks

the wanting to talk

and take a walk

on that trip that only tamed toxin

my unanswered ring request

to hear your ring back blessed

but bruised

when you stare at her

she asks you

“who are you thinking about?”

you said, “nothing”.