Her copper eyes strain
in the dimming midnight
as the crickets hum
in effortless flight
each heartbeat aches
for the warmth of embrace
and every nerve ending
begins to ignite

She sees New York bustle
from safely inside
the cinder-block walls
give her silence to hide
from a promise like clockwork
of whiskey-filled veins
and an unwelcome presence
in his sea-colored eyes

That caramel voice
still melts in her ears
with his oft-rehearsed script
that still dwells in fears
perhaps his gaze will narrow
to the curve of her hip
and his calloused hands will dry
her delicate tears