Flashback.

He's brilliant and I'm quiet.

I should have stayed quiet,

let the words bubble up in my throat

but just swallow it back down.

If I had known I would have caused him pain,

I would have sewn my lips shut,

the thread a constant reminder

of the pain I'd rather take away from him.

Different place, different time, different person,

but I'm still the same.

He was brilliant, he is brilliant, and again I'm quiet,

which is how I will remain this time.

This time, I'll sew them shut, the thread running red

and maybe sometimes a sound might escape

which will only lead me to adding more stitches.

No pain shall come to him, no embarassment, no fear 

and I will remain quietly in the background

my words dying in my throat as they're meant to.