Speech

I couldn’t speak.

Sounds would come out

But they couldn’t be formed into words

And people weren’t patient enough

To wait for those sounds to become words

But still, I couldn’t stop speaking

I steeled my heart

Everytime I opened my mouth

I cried

When nobody wanted to listen

But I had something to say.

It was not courage that lead me to keep opening my mouth

It was not a choice I made

It was sheer, stupid impulsivity

It was my own life, pulsing so hard I had to act on it

I had to be part of it

And I had so much to say

So much to give

I had to speak.

I couldn’t speak

But I did it, anyway.