The road: dark, illuminated by the orange and red glow from the setting sun. The house: glowing, lit from within. Tiny white lights, candles: smiling at me each time I drive by, missing the number on the box. The twelve over twelves: wide, winking, bidding warm welcome. Nervous. Are you there? Do you want me to come in?

Pull up pull in and there you are. There you are. Arms open, lean in, a hug and a kiss and, me: Holy shit I am nervous.

Twisted limbs of the magnolia. Tall, broad, fat: pine twins. Sweet, wet, New England soil, rolling downward to the fresh, cold water.

Here, you say, is what I wanted. A place to see the sunset. East? There. West? Here. And twice a year: the middle. Sun pouring in, pointing at me.

Perfection, I say.

Inside. It is magical, this place, what you’ve done with it. Arches curves angles meet wood. And scents. The scents. Vanilla wood fire and Smoke and wood and warmth, if warmth has a scent. If warmth has a scent it is this place. You. Your home. You’re home.

Music and art and mermaids and iris and your father’s oils and wood and ink and the magnolia and a money frog and black and white photos of family and the Raven. Oh Quote thy Raven and the cat and the pages and books and oh god. This. All of this.

Nirvana.

And us, in this moment.

Did you ever? Do you know? One time this. I once. She did. He did. Did I? My father. My brother. My mother. My mother. My sisters. My sisterfriends said. He did not. She did. I wanted to. I did. I wanted him to. She tried to. I saw I saw I saw.

It all tumbles out over onto.

You. Me. Each other. Here. Now.

And it is magical.

I thought you would, you say.

And I am, for a moment, horrified. Because yes: I was so very attracted to you. To your brain your smart your intellect. That was what made me want to kiss you. Deeply. And I have no regrets about that. Sky. Moon. Stars. Sun. Sin.

Yes all true, passion and lust and desire and I am all those things and more. So. Much. More. Let me tell you show you see you.

Lips meet. Tongues tangle: wet with wine and beer. Furtive and dark and shhhh. Let me walk you to your car.

Comehereandkissme.

Yes?

Yes.

Heat and taste and pleasure and push and pull and

pull back.

Kneel and steal and feel and heal and

StopStOPSTOP

Close

and I want your heat and you want my heat and I can’t though I want and you won’t though you want

but we can’t so we won’t but

memory created.

Desire, established.

Lips meet. Tongues tangle: wet with wine and beer. Furtive and dark and shhhh. Let me walk you to your car.