hush gentle

His love was harsh,

yet soft. 

Routine conversations were mostly dry, 

keeping mostly reality checks in mind. 

yet in between we’d tease the other, 

with nicknames he and i call myself.

Till even in vacant moments he reminds.

In nicknames were underlying messages, 

of acceptance, 

of love,

of gentle violence. 

I can’t help it,

resisting the urge to keep his pretty mouth shut  

; to find myself making way into his embrace. 

like a fool, 

even the way of his mean 

is the toughest way of kind. 

and his soft

is so tender

; i felt so immensely drawn into and bind. 

-a.g