the research chemical hit
the group and left us doing
lines of moth wing dust
off the rim of the clawfoot tub
left us holding eye contact
dangerously long spans of time
left us on thin black-and-white tile
to fail at teasing out intentions
from our four little retinae
that twitched and jerked neon
tracers across the evening air
and when our bodies and brains
decided the other posed a threat
we smiled our apologies and
curled in like anemones
frightened of touch