Okay. Oh to the man who grabbed my arm the bar. For Patrick. When you leaned in, when you leaned in and made the decision to grab my arm, you did not know the cautionary tale you would become. You left work earlier for a few drinks with friends and soon you were bar hopping and drunk and happy and a little in love. When you finally looked up and your boy said, yeah, bar 13 has two-for-one specials and your girl said, awesome! You did not know we missfits would be reading poems. Some of them terrible. But so necessary to us that we couldn't stop even when we knew they were bad. You did not know how necessary you were to everything I've come to believe and to much that I'm trying to unlearn. You were loud, yes sir, and you were rude. And you did not know how willing I was to forgive all this because you did not know that you required forgiveness. You did not know you were not allowed every right you chose to claim. So you leaned in, drunk, to grab a man, 40 pounds heavier and 3 inches taller. And when my hand applied itself away and made a short journey to your head, I was as surprised as you to see you actually fall. The slow motion, tumble of it. You did not know when you left work that you'd be struck down ever. You had not considered that even remotely possible and neither you nor your friend knew how willing I became then to fight your entire crew. Even the woman. I wanted the ballet of all of you come to me. I wanted you to draw blood to my mouth. Remind me how close to love making the wrestle. Have me believe in gladiators, gargoyles, the night again. Small man, you could not know that I cried after I hit you, that I've always wished myself beyond the tribe of blood, dirt and immediate consequence for you. You brought me back. You thought you could put your hands on anyone you felt like and I had to remind you otherwise. As I slipped out the back door to avoid the cops who surely would see it your way and take my chance instead with my body, my fists, my good two legs running, knowing I could trust only my hands and self made laws. The shadows the buildings make of the city, the night for me to hide in.