when there is nothing left to write on, utilize all that skin.

Mobile wafts against window and wall paint and whatever happened to looseleaf notebooks.

Use the other side of that paper or don’t you have any old receipts in your wallet or what about the blank spots on currency. Write on that, why don’t you.

Oh, I have a marker; you may write on this mug; it is empty.

How about this napkin or tissue–it is thick enough.

I am going to need you to use an index card. How about a post-it.

There is plenty of room on the back of this photograph. Or this envelope.

All of my walls are free. How about that building. Count the windows; they are bare too.

There is extra wood on the side of my house, use that.

I’ll take off my shoe; use my soul sole.

I can peel these crayons; use the wrappers. Or gum or…or…this newspaper. There are gaps without words.

All those steps are empty. What about this bench.

Can you…can you…hold on…I’ve got this guitar. Write on that.

How about this map. How about my hat.

I’ve got this t-shirt; it is empty. I’ll unfold my pockets and give you that.

A flower petal: just be soft. A feather: just be patient. You write small: how about this strand of hair.

Oh, can you…can you think about this tire wheel. Too dark? Countertop. Door. Linoleum. Look at all those squares.

Just…just…just wait. Because that won’t wash off. And I think you are bleeding now. And I wish you would have waited. I can…I can buy you some more paper. I can…I can find you some more trees to climb your words into.

I can listen. Use my earlobes. Use my pupils as a flashlight to follow.

Can you…can you just…listen to a song.

My body is a speakerbox…let me just turn it on…here, let me play Tallest Man on Earth.

Just…follow my teeth. Or, I can whistle you away from all that.

I’ll steal a cloud. You can use that instead.

Or an airplane wing or…or…I wish you’d…I wish you’d stop.

I thought you stopped.

Really, paper is everywhere. We won’t run out. I can make more.

Put your body away. Wipe it back into something tempered.

Stay away from mirrors for awhile. Put her photograph away. I’ll kiss you until you forget.

Let’s wander into wilderness. Find percussion in tree stumps.

I’ve got this. I’ve got you. Come on now.