the pyrotechnics of breathing

my lips are salt cracked shut
while the force of your whisper 
shatters the needle point of my paper ribs

and you told me you never liked fireworks

i'm mostly empty space
and fire burns brightest in the dark
and sometimes it burns through

so i'll put on my new face and keep dancing

and i need someone to talk me down
but i'm standing on the window ledge
it's to see the fireworks better

i'm under the influence of gravity