since who am I to say the word
that should burn my tongue, singe
the air as it leaves
my lips?

I muscle and blood you,
I pound you and glisten
and throb you,
pump blood

all the way to your coasts. O
let’s heart one another
so fierce and so true
all our consonants melt into vowels.

Listen to this poem:

I Heart You, a poem by Catherine Abbey Hodges

Photo used under CC.