Like that
She said it was like colour swallowed up by bruised chalk
clouds at night, the bite of teeth
She said it was like silk, the electricity of cat fur
the tip of a finger, the flat of a hand, touch
of a cheek
Like puppies gobbling their food
tails wagging, circling the bowl
— that hovercraft of desire
— that overdose of love
Like being danced upon, melted,
whirled about
ignited
Like basking in fierce sun on an island
and surrounded by traffic and speed
at the same time
You — she said — it was you
Setting your cap, balancing your cane, laughing
You being that miracle, the unexpected
the visitor from space, the burnt fingernail
that rips
a path
down the blackboard heart
Empties a room
—just like that!
Sets the candles ablaze
Smashes all the windows
                       (yes)
And every step, every dance
each touch
is a waltz
this poem originally appeared in Poetry D’Amour 2020Â anthology, published by WA Poetry Inc.