sometimes question, and all hope it isn't true, if others are as observant as we are

do they look at the bruises on our wrist and know that we have been incessantly measuring it with our fingers, mindless old habits from youth, but ones that still cause anxiety if our thumb doesn't cover the entire nail of the other.

we can't notice without being noticed, maybe
and, if anyone does, it's them--although, i've always given too much in the credits *soft spot for*
                                                                                                                                       *them*
                                                                                                                                   but, their emotional
                                                                                                                                   intelligence has proven less than optimal in the past.