We Said We’d Never Speak of It

We said we’d never speak of it.

How we’d never let our hearts out of their cages. How you couldn’t look at me, half smile upon your lips, and let me lose myself in your eyes.

How I’d never greet you at your door in the middle of a moonless night because I couldn’t bear to be so bold and ask to bathe in your light.

We said we’d always keep it tucked away in some airtight space, nestled between memory and dreams. I promised you that I would be a brave girl, that when someone asked, no matter how recent or distant, that I would pinch my tears and remember in a detached sort of way.

“Cage the heart,” you said. Because a caged bird couldn’t be shot down. Because it could not soar it could not plummet. And being one who listens, I wrapped us tightly in the creases of my mind so we couldn’t see the sun and yearn to fly.