Conversation Poem by Claudia Krizay

Look at me.
Don’t talk back.
My heart cannot speak-
My eyes can feel
Do not threaten-
You are all I have-
The skies are screaming outside-
In this instant, I hear my name called,
Talk to me with your words, misconstrued,
As threatening as
A winter storm from hell,
Listen:
I hear you- and I know
You can hear me too-
Your words are senseless, though at times
Comforting,
Warm,
Scintillating,
As a soul afire –
Quiet as a cat tiptoeing upon a cloud or
A symphony of drumsticks, muffled, or a
Single snowflake falling without rhythm upon a
Field of dandelions-
Outside,
The sky is calling me-
I do not hear,
Only your words, can I hear?
Every day and night we meet in this room,
Dark as fear, or light as a ray of agonizing and heated…
Fury?
My eyes can feel pain but
My heart cannot speak or feel-
My ears are deafened to the words of the people
Who intimidate,
Menace,
Wish to harm me?
I can hear the voices of people talking,
Conversing about me,
Those, whom I cannot see,
Although my eyes can feel the pain,
My heart won’t speak as
It cannot feel-
Speak to me
Your senseless words,
Do not look at me,
Your eyes could be daggers of death and ill fated-
Outside, the sky is calling-
Snow is falling
Flake by flake,
I cannot see, although
If my heart could speak, it would say
“I love you”
I feel safe with you-
You are not real, and
Your senseless words are a symphony,
Your garbled messages are poetry,
Do not take them back,
They warm my heart,
Though it cannot speak-
The sky is calling,
Calling?
Me?
I am terrified,
Please help me-
Your chaotic words are overpowering,
Frighteningly beautiful, and almost threatening –
Although safe because
You are not real, and that is the reason
I love you …