too much do you remember the first time you were called annoying?

too much 
do you remember the first time you were called annoying?
how your breath stopped short in your chest 
the way the light drained from your eyes, even though you knew your
cheeks were ablaze
the way your throat tightened as you tried to form an argument that
got lost on your tongue?
your eyes never left the floor that day. 
you were 13.

you're 20 now, and i still see the light fade from your eyes when you
talk about your interests for "too long,"
apologies littering every other sentence, 
words trailing off a cliff you haven't jumped from in 7 years.
3 uninterrupted minutes makes you anxious. 
all i want you to know is that you deserve to be heard
for 3 years 
for 10 minutes
for 2 hours 
forever.

there will be people who cannot handle your grace, your beauty,
your wisdom, your heart;
mostly because they can't handle their own. but you never will be 
and have never been
"too much."