“There was a horrible, erratic thumping in my chest, as if a large bird was trapped inside my ribcage and beating itself to death.”

“I love you. You are my heart beating
outside of my chest.”

“And You dance inside my chest where no one sees You!”

“Everyone in me is a bird
I am beating all my wings”

“He tapped my chest. 'Happy is here.' He tapped his own chest. 'Here.'
I looked down past my chin. 'Inside?'
'Inside.'
It was getting crowded in there. First angel. Now happy. It seemed there was more to me than cabbage and turnips.”

“Lightning strikes
Inside my chest to keep me up at night.
Dream of ways
To make you understand my pain.”

“Animals, these beings trapped
As I am trapped but not, themselves, the trap,
Aging, but without knowledge of their age,
Kept safe here, knowing not of death, for death
— Oh, bars of my own body, open, open!The world goes by my cage and never sees me.”

“The human heart beats itself to death.”

“A book is a heart that only beats in the chest of another.”

“The sensation inside me grows warmer and spreads out from my chest down through my body out along my arms and legs to the tips of my being. Instead of satisfying me the kisses have the opposite effect of making my need greater.”