half-light of a red glow
through shears drawn loose;
morning chilled by the slow
creek of a lazy fan lulling
from above;
the glow was
burnt orange in a different time a
different place also on a lake but
drawn tight, the sheers guarded
flesh thinly creping, shaded
eyes grown pale; delicate
she lived middling to late
in the half-light away from the sun
holding space holding it
together, heart fit to bust body
constrained by a ‘have to’ and
miles of water miles of land;
static as the mind spins the
dial searching scanning for
that one good song on a
a county road while driving
I
I looked for one
and found another
struggling with
home
the concept the feeling
I was without while in motion
of doing and seeing, settling in
III
shutting windows locking doors
I left my heart in Portugal
even days away are too long
our rituals
timely tell us when
to wake when to sleep when
to eat when to walk when
to love when
not followed
she knows and demands
her little heart keeping time