the leaving
The leaving
The night before you go
arrives early and all at once
in the dark of a door closing.
the house is full
of low light and the walls
thick with leaving.
In dreams
I could keep you -
a small bribe
to the sun would stall
it midway through the sky
+ keep us forever undone.
Half asleep
the body is bent to
a god’s decree,
and it’s now
I could give you
a whole mouthful
of small confessions –
like my heart
is a startled creature,
skittish and cornered by
the prospect of starving
in an orchard –
and dawn, souring
and the dream I have
of giving you a goodbye sweet enough
to stop the leaving.
so let’s not talk a
bout tomorrow yet – let us
stall and only pretend
to arrange our futures.
so keep your hands
to yourself + don’t let them
get too big with swelling and heat and want
stop
grasping at things out of reach
just let your gaze
drift to tomorrow’s door
and my god -
how I wish you’d fling it open
say we’re staying
just one more impossible day –


Love x