The Words I Couldn’t Say

By Amaya Esparza

there is this

ache in my chest

from the flame in

my heart burning

its way through the

walls attempting to

contain it. the walls

hold the fire within,

but the smoke seeps

through the cracks

brought by the wear

and tear of holding

hostage the now

unrelenting wildfire.

the smoke creeps its

way into my lungs

and up my throat

searching for an

escape, but its exit

is blocked by an

invisible ceiling

created from fear,

so in a futile attempt

to mollify the ever

growing flame and

the ever-rising smoke,

i touch you. i hope

that it will cool the

burning inside –

that it will be

enough to placate

it for now, but

skin-to-skin

contact is just fuel

for the fire and

all it takes is a

breathless kiss

to burst the walls

surrounding it and

with that burst it

shatters the glass

ceiling and the

smoke is finally

free and the words

held captive in my

heart float out

along with it:

I LOVE YOU.

By Amaya Esparza