She looked like Darjeeling,
her body shifting to a glow of amber,
collecting sun light on her lily white skin
while I thought of modern art and Manhattan,
the pollinating cabs
and the girls of SoHo.
I thought
of running away with her,
and why not?
We could go where
Tennessee blends into Carolina
in smoke and shades of blue.
Waking, she stretched under the cotton-
smiling, her cheeks turning red,
fireworks pushing through her body,
she remembered what
it felt like to touch another.
I waited while she made the bed,
dressed quietly in her scarf and sweater,
and contemplated Tuesday's shoes.
But it's too early to speak.
