there’s a knock on the door and i can’t help but wonder

who could it possibly be at this hour?

it's nice to have someone to talk away the night with

but my kitchen is a mess and i don't have much to drink

the knocking continues and i'm starting to feel scared

who could it possibly be at this hour?

maybe it will stop if i pretend that no one is home

it's getting louder

what will my neighbors think?

i almost want to open the door if only to make it stop

but the almost is heavy and prevents me from doing so

the door knob starts to rattle

i think they're trying to let themselves in

the lock clicks, signaling the break-in has begun

what should i do?

i'm not at all prepared to know what to do

a man walks in who i've never seen before

he introduces himself as ————— and holds out his hand,

as if he's welcoming me into a space where i don't belong

i instinctively shake his hand and wonder who will let go first

i'm terrible with names and as quickly as he arrived i've already forgotten it

i think i hung onto his hand for too long

he asks me what my favorite color is and i panic

ORANGE

i don't know why i said that

it isn't the truth

but oranges are sweet and remind me of home

or the pumpkins we carved on halloween

i'm starting to think too much and can feel myself slipping away,

slipping away into the uncertainty 

he asks me again what my favorite color is

the confusion steadies my feet beneath me

i take too long to reply and he grabs me by the shoulders

he tells me it's okay if i don't know the answer yet but i shouldn't ever lie

he tells me that he has to go and it's a shame he couldn't stay for longer

my hand twitches as i hear the disappointment in his voice

he leaves just as i remember his name

maybe another time

maybe another color