The Pull Away

A friend reached out, fingers barely brushed,

a quickening pulse, an instinctive hush.

I stepped back, drawing lines in the air,

a need for my space, a moment laid bare.

The world feels heavy, layers piled high,

where comfort becomes something to deny.

In crowded rooms, I sink in my skin,

craving the distance, the air I can't win.

The warmth of a hand can be too much to bear,

wrapped in my thoughts, I just need the air.

In the silence, I find what’s right,

the quiet between us, my necessary flight.