I should let you know..

That I’ve never been afraid of the fire.

I’ve been burned enough to realize..

It may hurt and leave scars.

But its not the fire that marks me forever..

Its the smoke filling the empty space in my lungs.

Swirling in every crevice..

Circling in spaces meant for words I could not say.

Burning my throat only to swallow them back down..

Low into my uneasy stomach.

Expressions never expressed..

Dreams never given life of their own.

Caution to the one who warns me of the flames..

Their burning I already know.

-KP