The boughs we dragged into the snow go up in flames,
they press against the darkness and wash me with warmth.
Matchbox in hand, you stand with the glow on your face,
and in the auburn light I still know the blue in your eyes.
Shadows across your cheeks send me spiraling
through a promenade of crystal eyes and letting go,
my fingertips crackling the way dry pine needles catch fire.

Hypnotic shimmers on the icy ground,
I lose myself in the swirling heat, to memory,
to smooth gray ice and mountain views
floating, following, weaving joy through stick-straight trees
the sweet mix of pride and new love
and the time of night where you get to know someone
I feel the vibrations of a familiar voice through my back,
wrapping through my ribcage
the way it did in our quietest moments,
and it tugs me back to the here and now.

Where the back of my legs are chilled swinging off a tailgate,
a soft country love song is a bittersweet reminder.
You wander restlessly and I know that the night is straining you.
I’d join you in a sung harmony, your fingers would drum a beat
and we’d piece our weekend plans back together.
I tell of mutual heartbreak to the solemn pines,
let the wind carry it away and leave space behind for healing.

I tip my head back towards the clouded sky
Imagining the sparks were the stars we couldn’t see
losing myself in the universe because
I couldn’t bear to lose myself in your eyes.