Morning

thankful for the light

for the dreams to end

and my hand to cast its shadow

against the wall

for the dark imprisonment of night

to be over

what could break this spell

of human flesh, calling out

to human flesh,

of bodies struggling inside a tight, closed

cave for infinity, for greater depth,

for something familiar that would

glow between our hands?

when the light spoke our names

we felt it first

a vibration under our heads

a weight carried by animal hooves

it stood outside and smelled us

our eyes turned toward each other and

the deer went on

smashing leaves, leaping down the bank

to the dirt road below.

later crouched over the tracks

you analyzed the motion

first the walking, the running,

then the bounding away

standing apart from you

I saw those tracks going on forever

I saw them vanishing behind us

and I wanted to hold you as

I had wanted to that morning

before our scent entered the deer or

the sun could lead our eyes away.