caution tape

last night at 9:27 I didn't hate being in the back seat.
because it was a front row seat to your glances into the rearview
and our eyes met more than once.

at 9:49 you sat across the table
they joked and laughed and somehow my eyes kept finding you
i was afraid it was too much
but your eyes didn't go unnoticed either
and it was just a glance--
but it was more than one
and i began to wonder

i pretended i didn't hear you
when you made your smart remarks
or when you mumbled something about
wanting to take me home
under your breath
i pretended i didn't hear you
but i smiled
because i did.

i tried too hard like i always do
i told you that last fall i had mono twice
to make you think i'd kissed a boy
and i don't know why that matters but
i was trying too hard like i always do
making jokes that weren't funny
but you still laughed
and that's when i knew
something was happening

i'm not talking about love
or "like"
or even attraction,
i'm talking about
nitrogen, lithium, fluorine, magnesium
i'm talking about chemical reactions
i'm hydrogen
you're oxygen
the heat seems to be rising
but i'm afraid of the explosion

all i know is that your eyes are a fire hazard
and you have caution tape across your lips
i'm trying to read my gut feeling,
but there are too many butterflies in my stomach

my head and my heart are trekking across no-man's-land
knowing well that there will be no peace treaty
my head says "be smart"
my heart says "follow me"
and they don't agree on many things.

at 10:36 I drove home
well over the speed limit
because my heart was racing
and I was doing my best to beat it.

now it's 11:29 on day two and it still hasn't stopped...
but all i can see is the bright yellow caution tape across your lips.