No ghosts

— I figured you out.
Her voice in the dark
I don’t respond
— Well, not entirely,
Inhale
But she doesn’t go on
I turn to her
Light from the street-light outside
Filtered through a thin film of curtain
The glow of the line of her cheek
Jaw
Her eyes are a shadow
She tilts her head back
Forward again
Summoning me
I move myself closer to her
Touch lips to her collarbone
— Mmmmm.
A long exhale
— I remember you said once, it was like pieces of films,
She touches lips to my forehead
— All those strange films you watch.
Slowly I work my way across to her shoulder
Back again to the base of the neck
— But editing them all together, without the reveal, without explanation.
– I didn’t say that.
— You didn’t?
– It was Vroenis.
— Oh.
I settle down again on the cushion on the floor
Her lips come to rest on my eyebrow
— It doesn’t matter then I guess, does it?
– Not really.
— Yeah. So, I thought,
Pressure as her lips bite gently at my skin
— The other side of that is all the quiet parts.
I open my eyes
— All the minimalist films, those Japanese ones with no dialogue.
– Hardly any dialogue.
— It’s like that.
Inhale through the nose
– What is?
She lifts her hands to my face
Levels our eyes, though in the gloom we must surely see only shadows
— You.
I stare
From where we lie, she must see the light reflected in my eyes
Exhale through the nose
I tilt my head back
Kiss her cheekbone
Feel her exhale against my neck

— Why is this happening?
– Hm?
— Why are we so close?
And I turn away
She spoons behind me
Touches her lips to the base of my neck at the top of my spine
– You don’t want the answer to that question.
— Don’t I?
Lazily
She isn’t committed to the question
If I’m careful, she’ll forget
— What if I don’t want to forget?
– Then I’ll tell you.
— Will it upset me?
I stare
And I know she’s staring at the back of my head
– Yes.
She turns her head
Presses her cheek against my back
— Will it upset you?
I reach back and brush her face with my fingers
Tips across the lips
As they part I let them fall into her mouth
She takes my hand
Guides it down to her hip
I roll slightly toward her again
She presses my hand
Then moves it between her legs
— Then don’t tell me.
I settle on my back
And she climbs above my body