valentine

Smoky water leaves

a smoky taste in my mouth

like there’s a cloud

I can taste with my tongue.

There are pockets of fire

I can feel in my cheek,

the taste of which

makes me warm.

We all drink 

the smoky water,

let it sit in our bellies

flow through us like a river.

We all bathe 

in the smoky water,

let it get into our heads,

breathe the water into our lungs.

But we don’t touch the water—

it never comes near us;

it passes through our beings

without us lifting a finger.