Taps

 

your head on my pillow

is your breath in this song

a pain you can’t remember

carves the beauty of your smile

 

a looming shadow sliced and spread with a butter knife

wrapped in a plastic bag

delivered free in an hourglass

shadow seeps down

turning liquid time into solid sand

and our awakening is on the first floor

 

someone put it out with the heel of his shoe

his friend is finally here

she licks her lips

but they’re just as dry as before

 

we light our own match

a bucket of ocean water on our sleep

shakes it awake

and we realize

we desire

each other

again