“Portrait of a Young Woman,“ Mihaly Kovács, 1851

False Start

She’s half my age plus seven
not wanting to hold her back — because I can’t really either

I just want her:
there is safety in her eyes and there is life on her breath
what I can fathom

deep,
down
in her
is more life — another life that I will not have access to
but for now, she is mine
everything I can touch is within my reach
everything I can touch wants
forever

even when she doesn’t think
there will ever be one.