I try to hold it back
stifle it
quiet it,
and OUCH.
If I could just force myself
to stop breathing for a second,
I could almost – OUCH – get a word in.
But if I let myself breathe
or try to hold my breath
or try to not breathe at all –
OUCH.
And I can’t help it.
It – OUCH – forces itself into the conversation
thought
sentence
and interrupts
OUCH
everything.