We slept in shifts like grazing deer,

while the weight of the world shifted below.

Alive

in our serene half-nakedness,

I held you the way snakes prey,

silently and tightly.

Between the two of us

there was nearly enough material to dress a single person

and enough love to feed a fever forever.

Just before you fell asleep,

you turned on a smile

bright enough to steer ships safely to shore.

By then I was sure,

assured that those thunderclaps outside your window were applauding us

for our effort.

I wish the space and time between your bed and mine were non existent.

I’ve wished for this every night

for as long as I can remember it.

“I love you” is hardly the most effective phrase

when one is nudged into using it.

It’s a nice string of sounds to repeat,

I like it best when it flies out passionately.

Those moments when it can’t be contained

mean the most.