question II

if you are tormented by dreams of me

(call them nightmares if you will),

how is that my fault?

:*

this kiss

brings me bliss

and it goes like this –

a colon and an

asterisk

 

because you asked

this is how I always know it’s you:

the tiny birthmarks between

your shoulder and heart and

on the inside of your thigh;

the sound of your blood, the

rhythm of the slow pauses

between your heartbeats;

the scent of your hair, taste

of your skin; and most of all,

the signature of your smile.

love, always

1

at the beginning
when you kissed
me on the street
and said I tasted
of strawberries

2

in the middle
when we watched
‘Titanic’; and you
cried, and got mad
thinking I didn’t

3

at the non-end
when there were
others and you
and I were still
ours, us, always.

black hole

after so long
still meandering
climbing stars and
navigating the Milky Way
I sometimes spy you
playing hopscotch
across my sky

too-much-tenderness

you can’t help but wonder

at the way he kisses

– too tender, as if he isn’t

certain he’s allowed,

let alone desired –

you catch your breath, fight

for air; the night weighs heavy

– his kisses are almost

as light as the touch of his

fingers (raindrops, sliding) –

what a time to remember

‘the prophet’

– the pain

of too much

tenderness –

too-much-tenderness his instrument,

too tender, his music

– he plays it

for you best:

you let him.

24/2

there have been other 24s

as there will be more 24s 

yet every 24 is of you

for you, always and

forever only you -

carved into my

skin, burned

into my

brain,

you,

24/

2.