I think of cliffs to drive 
over, horses I've tried to ride,
sailing at night in winds too strong
to hold our course, dogs
at the gate ears up and panting
eyes glassy and lit from within,
strays of any kind, that baby smell of newness &
endless possibility, infinite love,
men I was attracted to
for their long legs &
slow smiles, their teeth
white and gleaming behind
lopsided grins, the way
their jeans hung low on their hips, 
how their elbows unhinged me.

I think about that moment when
a moth flies into the light,
a tree limb drops, the sound of it
tearing away, straining until
it gives way to the obvious.

One more step and I'm in
over my head, one more minute
and it's pouring, one more kiss
and I'm not going home.

© 2006 by Julia Klatt Singer. All rights reserved.