the way your hand
caresses my spine
creating a line
that burns the
flesh beneath

the way your voice -
deep and hoarse
tells me stories
that carve picture-perfect
scenes that
i replay
over and over again
in my head

the way you count down
from ten to twee
to have me encaged
in your cuteness
as you babytalked
before we bid farewell
to the night
and
eventually
to
each
other

the way you sleep
on my shoulder
so heavenly
and the way you whisper my name
as you drift off
farther and farther away
even when there is no
space between us

the way you never say
goodbye
when it’s all i need
to hear

the way you lie
when i know all along
what’s real

the way i never seem
to be able to last
living
without
loving
you