The body leans forward
before the sentence arrives.

Jaw sets.
Breath shortens.
A word gathers behind the teeth.

Eye contact holds.
The head nods.

Timing shifts without signal.
Weight settles into the front of the feet.

The chest warms—
not spreading,
not reaching.

The pause tightens.
Hands prepare without moving.

No decision enters,
disruption underway.

The moment travels through the wrists.
Tongue presses.

Attention rests
with the words my ears received.

The mind does not enter.