gasp

i have so much to say

yet my throat cramps

my vocal chords seize

choking back the words

before they can escape

i try to force a smile

to hide my obvious discomfort

take a deep breath and try again

but when i open my mouth to speak

my teeth fall out instead of words

i don’t know what that means

except that now

my bite and my bark

are ineffective

~Melanie Thomason