We lay upon a sea of sheets, a cool press on knees. Entwined, we wind sidestrokes in sleep. A shoulder, we shoulder, to shudder, the shutters in place. I breathe in from the small of your back to the soles of your feet. A muse, we muse, by your faults I've chosen you. For our sake we forsake, an ocean for a sleeve. We rush in, a stretch of skin, a slip, a hiss, a bow from grace. We stand still, a stand still, waver and sway. Out of grasp, we gasp, to lose our spines and phosphoresce, an anemone ache. We muse and amuse, I will you to break. We expose, we over expose, ebb and flow, a cool deep. You still in a stroke as you sleep. // Outside for hours, for minutes, we freeze. Is it visible, am I invisible, is it too cold, too wet? Shutters open, we shudder to open, include the days of the week. The weak days we revisit, we seek saline. Is this taken? Pour in, drown and seep. We reverse, inverse, turn one hundred eighty degrees. To twist and advance, for our sake we phosphoresce. Out of grasp, we gasp an anemone ache. When you listen, do you see? Converse, reverse, slip away. Snapshots, we snap, we blink. I remember the overheard overhead. Your wings. Press against fences and walls, windowsills, round three. // I think of you with every step, I thought of you with every step, thoughts between pages, leaf presses, you leave. An open window, a chime wind in winter, a walk on a one-way street. I tell you of the first color that passes through water, count the bones down the small of your back, entwined in your sleep. You swim underneath. It's been seven weeks since, one year, ten days. A sudden snow, a step, the lines on your face. Fill up, fill in, I fall in, sink, give way. // One of the first warm days, thirty seconds contained. An ocean for a sleeve. A shoulder, we shoulder, to shudder, the shutters in place. For our sake we forsake, out of grasp we gasp, lose our spines to yield an anemone ache. A double exposure, we are exposed as we sleep. It begins, rush in, a change in degree. If grass equals the ocean, then water fills the screen, a cool green beneath. As will we bend, willows bend, what we throw and choose, drop and break. To catch drops, four seconds at ten feet. Open at first, then halfway. Upside down, right side up, spin, come in. Is it visible, am I since, one year, ten days. Why won't it rain? // Many replacements we may replace. A stand still, take in, intake. Turn one hundred eighty degrees. We expose, over expose, go under and awake. Entwined, we ache anemone, lose our spines and phosphoresce. A chime wind in winter, a walk on a one-way street. Amuse, a muse, I see your faults, I see you. Entwined, mine, my anemone ache. We lay upon a field of sheets, a cool press on knees. A given, I give in, to salt and saline. A sudden snow, each spring a coil, we recoil, you still in a stroke as you sleep. The trees in slow motion, a spare green beneath. We forget overhead, your wings. Warmth through the windows, your skin saline. For our sake we forsake, forget to bend, the moment between wake and sleep, wings clipped and contained. // A gasp and yield, the cool press of knees. We review, we rewind, the last time, we break. An expanse, thirty seconds contained. Close the shutters, shoulder to shoulder, we shudder to blink. In the dark, it's too dark, look up in the leaves. Focus, not enough focus, you fade. Always waiting, in wait. And still we still, left to right, we flex and break. A move forward, steps back, repeat. // We merge, submerge, lose our spines to slow motion, we missed each other by a moment, by one hundred feet. I wish you well, awoke, awake. A sudden snow, each spring a coil, we recoil. Watch the trees move in slow motion, sway. For days it's been a quarter to eight. // A chime wind in winter, a walk on a one-way street. We fold and rip, we tear and crease. The bright flash between dreams. Mid-drop, just a drop, almost stop. Count backwards, two one three. Losing stops per second, I can stop in a second. Tense, past tense, awoke, awake. In a while, to wile, the number of petals: thirty-three. Fold and unfold the leaves and leap. Up against the frame, we crash, waves meet, I can time the air by the moments you breathe. A flapping of wings. You on your back, you still as you sleep. Lay under the curtains, lay over the sheets. A flicker of light, white blossoms, I will you to break. Cling to the walls, the color of ink. A shift in season, a warm night out of season, slow down, a pause in between. A continuous pour, soaked to speak. Petals bruise and abrade, scratched beyond relief. Refrain, a refrain, finger tips, the soles of your feet. // We lay upon a field of sheets, a cool press on knees. We muse, a muse, by your faults I've chosen you. A sudden snow and saline. Each spring a coil, we recoil, you still in a stroke as you sleep. Watch the trees move in slow motion, a spare green beneath. The warmth through the windows, an anemone ache. We slip, slip up, bow from grace. Tense, past tense, you sleep. For your sake we forsake, you breathe in place. To flow into saline, we over expose, go under and awake. Clean up the cuts, a quick cut, pale ache. No emulsion, beneath you in motion, I bend. Spill over, up in the air, up to your neck, heave. The wind in the willows, a whisper to keep. Breathe ether, either sweat or seep. I wish you to winter, will you to keep. We crumble, we creak. Askew, I ask you to leave. I can slow you down, breathe in, under, and awake. Ablutions and solutions, I know your thoughts before you speak. Upside down, we splash and sink. Forget-me-not of blue, the whites and the sheets. Side by side, an aside, we step forward, go back, repeat. // Entwined, we wind, still in a stroke, bend as you sleep. Lay upon a sea, the cool press of sheets. A shoulder, the shutters in place. For our sake we wind, out of grasp we gasp, lose our sleep. For our sake we forsake, gasp our spines and phosphoresce. Watch the trees move in, slow bruise and abrade. Entwined, we ache anemone, lose our shudder to blink. Rush in, go under and awake. An ebb and flow, a slip, an entwined hiss, expose, to forsake. A stretch of skin, an ocean to break. We shutter in place. Lay upon a sea, a stretch saline. I can time the air by your forsake. Fold over, fold in, cut a fall from grace. Press on knees, an anemone grace. We take in, intake saline. You still sleeve. We forget a slip, over expose, foresee. Close the shutters, give in to green. I've chosen you, we gasp and muse, as will we bend, we break. Out of grasp, crash and forsake. Out of grasp we gasp, forget a slip, hiss and break. Shoulder to slip, out of grasp we awake. A cool press, phosphoresce, foresee, forsake. We go under skin, losing stops per saline. A given, give in, a sudden snow, a chime wind. I breathe in muse, an ocean for a sleeve. Sidestrokes to sleep, a stretch of skin, intake saline. Entwined spines phosphoresce, an anemone ache.