the feeling spurs the action;
a simple cause
and effect.
that’s all it is, really.
biochemistry.
nothing more.
but its link to emotion
and its role as an outlet
make it something else entirely.
how can an act so simple
represent such complex feelings?
first comes the lump in your throat;
the lump that burns
no matter how many times you swallow,
hoping that your discarded saliva
will simply wash it away.
the burning spreads to your face
and lingers
before finally settling
in the corners of your eyes.
it becomes the hot coals that
boil the pooling liquid
until it overflows
and leaks onto your cheeks.
if you pay attention, you notice
that they are always hot.
the heat spreads to your sinuses.
by now, there has been more leakage
from your eyes.
but after a certain amount,
you no longer care.
once it hits, it tends to stay.
your breaths quicken,
as if to power the ever-growing furnace
that began in your throat.
soon, you get bored.
it could never last forever.
as your breathing slows
and the once-hot liquid on your cheeks
begins to dry, some of it sticky,
you feel better.
this strange breakdown –
this miracle outlet –
has relieved you.