Sticks And Stones

Sticks and stones -

I suppose there's only so many times you can shift your weight
between the balls of your feet and blink while they, with their forked tongues
of concrete and stone are throwing verbs and nouns at your protective bubble
of oxygen and nitrogen, isn't there?

may break my bones -

I guess there's also so many times you can close your eyes and count to even numbers
and control what you take into your lungs and what you allow to whisper into your skull
even though your fists are clenching ever tighter and your toes are curling inwards but
you're still wearing a mask on the outside - right?

but words will never -

A wise person once said that ducks get wet, but they just shake their feathers and it's okay again
But I'm not a duck. instead I'm standing
and dripping, dripping from the acidic words

Hurt me-