tender

An expert says
the letter m
was
once upon a time
shaped to signify water

Interesting. However,
these days I am tangled in another—
my beloved
letter t
lower case
for tumble together
for tangled
for tender

tender has become the translation,
my whole view,
of this complicated, troublesome world.
I touch it all on its soft, tender body
tenderly

tender, also known as an offer, a payment.
I’ll pay.
Whatever it costs us to arrive at this tender
threshold,
I tell you, love,
this tenderness, this t that hooked us
has me opening, willing to tender it all