Beside me you
Lay covered in
White your chocolate
Skin peeking from
Behind like a
Bookmark one shoulder
Showing begging for
Early morning affection
Face turned away
Now turns towards
And lips open
And moisten as
I watch and
Lean in when
At once your
Arms encircle me
Pulling in close
And whispering your
Gaze is a
Traitor to sleep
And you shall
Pay your fine
By kissing me
It’s a look
Cast off as
A glance that
Lingers a moment
Too long it’s
A joke that
Catches you off
Guard and the
Laughter erupts after
A few seconds
Of thinking it’s
A smile that
Is broader than
The biggest sloppy
Cheeseburger and that
One evidently embarrassing
Snort of giggling
That is freshness
Life’s little miracle
As storms pass
And lightening sparks
Like flashlights in
Dark forests thunder
Booms like hammers
On bass drums
And then there
In the aftermath
Of nature’s artillery
Comes the sweet
Sullen rain pattering
On pavement bouncing
Like little acrobats
And if you
Listen very closely
You can even
Hear a weeeeeeee
I do remember
Watching my auntie
Primp and preen
On Friday afternoons
For that nights
Fish-fry and bingo
At the end
And with the
Flourish of witchcraft
Slap slap slap
As powder exploded
Like cosmetic Armageddon
Creating a cloudy
Dust which slowly
Revealed the bluest
Of blue eyes
Blinking and sparkling
While yellowed teeth
Laughed broadly amused
Give a kiss
Right here boy
She would ask
Pulling me into
Her sunny magic
This is what
This mornings sky
Reminds me of
Appearing to be
Like the sun
Two things happening
When we are
Together almost always
First the spring
Following the winter
The unexpected blossoms
Of our smiles
Budding and stretching
Across our faces
And then the
Cloudbursts of laughter
The simple downpour
Of saturating happiness
HARLAN DIDRICKSON 