vox.

i have heard silence
for far too long.

i have heard
neither breath
nor echo
nor simple spoken sound
in years.

unfast this pin,
forcing lips into submission.
grab this gag
and let air into
desperate lungs.

speak up.
i can't hear your heart
if you don't speak up.
unclench those lips,
and be heard.

this voicebox has gone
so long without use.
vox vexes me
into use,
into spoken verse.