Nostalgia
To Marjorie, thank you

On nights alone I think of you
And the way you would pull blankets over me,
Fold them back, crease them, and tuck them
Under, and the words you would whisper onto me,
How you would bathe me in your prayers.
You wanted me to know what security felt like.

You could take the moonlight in your hands
And let it hang over me like a brilliant guardian
Watching over, so that I could know what home was
So that I knew that you loved me, reassuring me with lullabies,
Duermete mi niño, duermete mi amor; and I did and I do,
And I wonder how different life would be without you.

On these nights I wonder where you are,
Whether you think of me as this grown man
Or as the lonely toddler scurrying for your embrace,
Laying in bed waiting for my bottle with warm chocolate milk,
For your soft voice, for the final Te amo of the day,
For my response of yo tambien mami, me too, and I did and I do,
And for the moonlight dripping from your fingers
Drifting onto the air, hanging above my closing eyes.

Lover

He said, “I thought you knew me better than that,’
And I responded, “I guess I don’t.”
So he sighed and kissed me on the lips
And let his thumb trace my eyelids to the hollow of my eyes,
Running palm down cheek, and he calmly chopped off his feet
And placed them in from of me.
“Here,” he said, “walk in these for awhile
Then maybe you will really get to know me.”

Love, last night you walked
Into my room and peeled off  your skin
For me, a sigh still clinging to your throat,
Waiting for the forceful
Expulsion of your exhale.

Peel it for me.

You hung your fears on my pleas,
Whispering the words I mouthed to you,
Mouthing them back onto me.
Lights off this is you
At your finest.

I love you, at your most nervous.

Last night you wrote on my skin
With your tongue, the words still cool
On my warm body.
Only the tips of your fingers remain,
Scrawling your name on my back as if you
Could tattoo the permanency of love with touch.

Lazarus

The night blew darkness into me
But you, you whispered my name,
Splintered apart these eyelids
Let the syllables wrap themselves
Around me, carried me back to you.
Awaken you said, and so I did and you
Let the words Come forth drip down
Into my ear drums, and so I did.
I came back to you, uncurled my body
To the sunlight peering itself
From behind you and I knelt,
Knelt for your touch, knelt for your words
To awaken more than just this,
This limp body, give me reason for being,
And so you did, you took this skin
And struck life through it,
Taught me to roll my tongue, to own
Your language, and you pressed
Your forefinger to my forehead and said
I will take you home.