She was tall
she had brown skin
she was beautiful at night when kansas snowed
casting a long sad white glancing shadow
over the streets
the homes of families
of brick cafés and chinese restaurants that are open 24/7
she has big eyes
and there were rings in her eyes like that of a tree that grew in your dreams
but you never had the time to chop it down
and carve the bark
into eyes of a woman
I had only kissed her once
she had lips like michigan lake's winter waves
and she laughed
trees quivered in the wind at 9pm
and she laughed
snow drizzled from the tall tall unreachable ****** sky
and she laughed
with coffee
with cigarettes that we shared like 1940'd milkshake sweater dress couples
drove in a 500 dollar red beat up jeep
with 4 wheel drive
and the passenger window was unable to roll up or down
we drove to a park that was closed
covered in snow and ice and deer tracks and mud and snapped branches
walked to the docks
of a lake
waters still moving
thick
like olive oil
or whiskey from the freezer
she spelled her name in the snow with her feet
the ducks talked
and I touched the quarters in my pocket
lighting cigarette after cigarette
and she laughed.