I spent my summer learning french.

[lavenderandlilac]

I spent my summer learning french
How I should drop the end of words
Pretend they don't exist
How I should memorize the verbs
or I'll be motionless.

I spent my summer learning french
I learned how these combinations
of a few different letters
can turn pretty
and the imagery
is smooth on the tip of your rolling tongue,
sliding off your lips.

I spent my summer learning french
I've learned that language possesses beauty
but how come when I had seen your hopeful, smiling face
I could only muster out harsh, cold sounds
hard letters
and an "It feels different."

Why are these words not smooth
like the ones my lips had memorized
Traced, like constellations we had followed with our eyes
I know how.
I know how to sound beautiful.
Why do my words sound so wrong?

I spent my summer learning french
and I'm sorry I forgot your face.