it was always the thinnest of thin ice spiderwebbing through your veins like lost highways no longer making the trip home afraid of what you thought you’d find there

and at camp like canoes we slept overturned our oars in our fishbaskets afraid to laugh and you never did and i knew you couldn’t and that you didn’t care for the moon

and neither could i but i did and neither could i but i did

and later in january when the ground was as cold as you could take it you pulled me outside and pulled everything off and didn’t shiver one bit and forced yourself to smile but you couldn’t make it last

and neither could i but i did and neither could i but i did

and i knew you wouldn’t have it any other way and i knew you wouldn’t have it any other way any other way any other way

bhagiti 10.12.07 perrysburg, oh