January 6, 2009: On the Street….French Cut, Paris

There were certain secrets that he told women
to tether their hearts and bodies to his:

the thin scars etching his thigh like a pale barcode,
the Braille he created at thirteen

how his uncle was terrified to leave the house,
and was found there alone one sunny morning

his crush on the high school chemistry teacher,
and her flirtatious comments on his lab reports

but he would never ever tell another human being
that he once sang in a youth church choir

and that his voice was perfect before puberty,
and that he sang soprano with a voice like a bell

he did manage to sing in front of his dog one night
but let’s keep that between us