thursday

sounds like
chainsaws
children playing at school
helicopters searching

your heart throbbing palpably
beside me

deafening scenarios
playing out like bullets in my head
bang
bang
bang

i move closer
clinging to your shoulder like a parachute

feels like
warm poached eggs
another beer
songs about denial

routine

love is always
after you leave
these fine elastic threads between us
stretching and bending

i let you go to her
without my hands pawing at your face like a child
without getting on my knees

shaking your touch
from my hair
brushing away the warm flicker of your smile

lips together
we blow the unfinished
into thin air

descent

a trickling of intent at the window
fingers seeking knees
losing count in desire
and in my hair

your one thousand fathom eyes
ascend my neck
while our mountains beckon honesty

(you climb quietly
as if it were there to be conquered
expecting you)

this moment is months out of sync
and too wet, too new
too prone to washing away

the space between us
crackles

you’ve been so far from me
so wrapped in unmade plans and worry

i forgot the simple rough of your cheek
your steady arm
your lived-in skin

teetering

a broken one moves differently
hides in corners
seeking out the dark
takes photos of each day in negative
counts drinks and phone calls

we could keep these sad stories to ourselves
let our mouths dry
with old addictions

but my spirit dusts itself off like a scraped knee
for this smiling clock creaking
and starting to tick

a broken one is all too aware
of it’s beating
loud bravado smothering fear
so we can emerge glistening from the trenches
giggling at fate’s plans

our hopeful tongues
flicking softly to the last page
to see who rides into the sunset or waves the flag first

this teetering happiness
brave
like it’s already broken