Morning

I can hear waves
Waves breaking on a beach
The still, cool air of Spring
False dawn illuminates the sky
I can hear breathing
Lying across me, leaning on my body, a woman sleeps
Her head resting just below my shoulder
Slow Inhale
Exhale
Hair falling across the temple
Down past the ear and to the neck
Slowly the room lightens
— Mmm.
A tiny sound
She turns her body over mine
Curls her back and presses her face against my neck
Exhale
My eyes follow the line of her shoulder
Ribcage and hip
Thighs pressed together
Calves
Ankles
— How long have you been awake?
A half-whisper
– A while.
I answer quietly
— Mmm.
I feel her warm breath on my collarbone
— Any visitors?
I raise my head and look at the room
The ceiling creaks
– I can hear your mother upstairs.
— Mm. She’s an early riser.
Exhale through the nose
– No visitors.
I feel her eyelashes brush my neck
— Really?
I look again.
– Yes.
She pulls away from me slightly
I move my arms to support her body
She looks at me
– This is the longest time I’ve had.
Blink
– All at once.
Her small smile
— Wow.
She raises one hand to smooth the side of my face
— Are you cured?
– I don’t think so. That’s how it is, on and off.
— But today it’s off?
– This morning.
Blink
— Did you spend all morning watching me sleep?
– Yes.
— Did you enjoy that?
– Yes.
The smile again
— We’ve slept in our clothes.
I blink
— Let’s have a shower.

She leads me by the hand to a room with a double bed
Then through a door to an ensuite
Close door
And then she undresses me
Slowly, one article at a time
When I am naked, she takes my hands and guides them to her own clothes
In the shower my movements are slow
As she washes my body, she guides me gently
Small pushes against limbs to lift and turn
Hands and wash-pad across shoulders
Over ribs and arms
Once again she guides my hands, and I wash her body
Moving over her skin
Slowly back and forth
She turns to face me
Stares at me
In that moment we aren’t touching
Staring
And the sound of water

Open door
She leads me to the room
I stand still
Watch her as she chooses her clothes
Underwear
Then puts them on
I watch her dress
When she is dressed she turns to me and gives a short laugh
I blink
— Here, your clothes are um, I didn’t know what to bring.
And I feel it then
— I brought mostly your black shirts.
I turn to the side
There, lying on the bed
— I told you.
– Um.
— What?
She straightens, looks at me
— What is it Joe?
I look back at her, then at the bed
Nothing
— Joe?
– Nothing.
Pause
– It’s nothing.
She looks at the bed
— Did you have a visitor?
Pause
– Yes.
I look at her and she must read my face.
— That’s alright.
I blink.
She takes my hand
— It’s alright.
– Really?
— Yes.
Pause
– But… I don’t want it to spoil the morning.
— It hasn’t.
She says it simply, calmly, and I believe her
I step towards her and we embrace
— Jodi.
– Yes?
— You’re still naked.
And we must look strange
A clothed woman and a naked man standing tangled together
It’s beautiful