The morning sun slices through the partially closed curtains
tenderly kissing your neck with a soft white glow
her light has traveled a distance I can hardly fathom
through darkness and nothing
finally resting upon your sleeping eyes
in this stiff hotel bed
our bodies meld together
your warm naked skin against mine
I bury my face into your shoulder
and kiss your back
I want to hold you closer and never let you go
but my muscle and bone bend and fracture
under the weight of time
she pulls like a howling riptide
casting you out to sea
beyond my reach


Yet I wrap my arms around you
with the knowledge
I will one day lose you
whether you fall into the final slumber
or into the embrace of another
we will be torn apart with the force of a dying star
its mass collapsing down to a singular point
so dense that even light cannot escape
its gluttonous grip
but for now
I lock my fingers, I clasp my hands,
I cradle you against my chest and I fight
I fight the very weight of existence
for an extra few seconds in this hotel bed