The Pulse of the Nighttime

by turtledove

I wish I had the most beautiful voice
So all the arias invented for lovers
Would be sung for you

Whenever I open my mouth
Big crickets escape
Chirping the story I didn't want leaking

I spend the time I'm supposed to be singing
Chasing the crickets
They tell the story
And I don't remember

About the nights I said no
and more about the ones
I didn't have the courage to speak

The melodies are trapped
Since I've been here
And when she tells me to form my vowels differently

I can't tell her that I'm just trying to keep the crickets
out of the piano