when i see my people i see large legs like tree trunks and

spindly arms like branches with

deep veins like vines

some are big bellied with weight that cascades over waistlines

sometimes our skin dries

cracking like alligator scales

peeling into flakes of clay

my people have smiles that blind

crooked teeth framed by full, fat lips

our throats hug sunlight. our voices, a warm embrace

freely speaking in tones high and low

croaking with the frogs and minnows or

babbling with deep base that eases the bones

some laugh how pigs sing

the sound births more laughter

oh, how my people breed choruses

my beloveds find beauty in things felt and unseen

it is the beat in our chests

sacred idiosyncratic frequencies

the kindness of strangers stringing you into a conversation

the jolt of joy from an unexpected gift

the quiet calm of space shared and time spent

the solace of knowing any distance can be closed with intent

attraction is neither concept nor conquest

but lifeblood, easy, flowing, rich and thick

thoughtless as breath

love held and love sent