have you ever danced in the sunset?
twirling in drenched gold evenings,
trailing rays of light like the skirts of a southern lehenga
bright gold, twirling kissed fingers allowing the sun
to smear your face, muddle your features.

have you ever drowned in the sunset?
did you hear me? turned it up?
/did you hear me/
spun under the sun rays,
kicked the beaten stereo until it played music-
such sun songs, bright and bold
singing under palm trees and crumbling homes?

have you ever played in the sunset?
like piano keys and fingers gently folded
by rays dancing through a windowsill
fading into rich floor, turning it worn
alone in the breeze, windows open
with friends, hearts closed
sun mottling pages?

have you ever loved in the sunset?
it all seems possible,
when your faces blur in the sky and then
darken, inevitably
it all seems natural
when you’re under the fires of heaven
who’ve dappled your body,
are waiting to flow through your veins.