You’re grinning at me
and I can tell it’s real because it reaches your eyes.
We’re working together so closely that we can touch,
lean against each other if we wanted.
And yet our lips have lost the ability to form words,
to speak the way we speak
freely
when we don’t have to hide,
don’t have to pretend
that the extent of our friendship
is a few words in passing.
A pane of glass would be less of a barrier,
at least it could be broken.