truth is freedom

Every phone call is preceded
by dozens of near-dialings.
Every awkward silence
is me biting my tongue.
Every word written
is weighed, measured, turn-head-and-cough checked
before being published.
I make efforts with tentative steps
as I don't move as others do
with their surety
in moments of social contact.
I've failed to learn how to
reach out without stumbling.