tartle.

when people ask of your name,
i hate the way you hesitate depending on who asks.
i hate how you give them options.
you shorten it,
give them a nickname,
anything that might make it easier
for someone else's tongue.
i loved your name. still do.
knowing you don't always say it still angers me
because i'd held your name in my mouth
for so long,
learned of its weight
and admired its song
until i bit my own tongue
and almost forgot
my own name.