Lyric

You were gentle in a way

That never had to arrive anywhere

You knew how to lower your voice

At the exact moment I needed proof

You said

I hear you

I care about you

I never wanted to hurt you

And somehow

None of those sentences

Could stand up and walk toward me

Kindness with No Shape

Filled the room like smoke

Soft enough to breathe in

Too thin to hold

I started measuring love

By how calm you sounded

When you refused to change

That is embarrassing to admit

But I did

I mistook your quiet tone

For emotional maturity

Your patience

For tenderness

Your apologies

For repair

But repair has hands

Repair moves furniture

Repair remembers what happened

After the room goes quiet

You touched my shoulder

Like a promise

Then stepped around the promise

Like it was not on the floor

You asked me not to make this heavy

So I folded my hurt smaller

And smaller

Until even I could not find it

You were not cruel enough

For anyone to warn me

Not cold enough

For me to leave clean

You were warm

In every place

That did not cost you anything

I wanted one clear thing from you

A plan

A truth

A place to stand

You gave me weather

You gave me almost

You gave me careful eyes

And nothing I could name

There should be a word

For being held emotionally

But never chosen practically

There should be a word

For a man who can comfort the wound

And still refuse to stop making it

Your softness had no structure

Your love had no address

I kept walking toward the feeling

And finding nothing there

Now I know

A kind voice is not a promise

A sorry mouth is not repair

And being gentle with my pain

Is not the same as being fair