I bumped into
a new word:
pareidolia.
A psychological phenomenon
that you would like to know about.
It’s when your mind tricks you,
turning something random
into familiar or meaningful.
I have seen it in images,
paintings meant to baffle your eyes,
but I never thought
I’d feel the effects of
apophenia* in my heart.
Happens once in a while:
when seeing your hands
and I picture them holding mine.
You say “come over”
but I hear it otherwise.
Happens when you say
honest, nice things about me,
but as I can’t acknowledge them,
I turn your compliment
into a joke, laughing it off.
It is not new to me
*this habit of building patterns,
making stuff up to myself.
I wish I wouldn’t do that about you, though;
I wish the signs were actually there.
Maybe one day
you’ll say you like me
and I won’t turn that into a secret message
filled with unspoken words
that must be cracked.
Maybe one day
you’ll say that you like me
and I’ll take your words with care,
place them in the right spot
and melt to the warmth they exhale.