Midnight, A Tiger Leaping
Wild is the night and wickedly divine.
I lose myself in your scent and fire:
lips made for magical kisses; eyes that
light me with desire; fingers spreading petals
into space, touching and traveling-
a clear navigation only you could know, your
movements and acrobatics stunning me.
Even your mouth finds the glitter in me.
Lover, you unlock heaven, drops of honey
lightly fall over you, because of you.
Ignite the night; you're a leaping tiger.
Soften my pain with your kisses.
Plummet through me over and over again;
every taste of you nearly opens my rosebud
tattoo; my ankle trembles, bright angel.
Remembering the moment I first knew
you-the beauty is almost unbearable.
Child, the Blue Earth, a Comet's Tail
Syllables spill from your lips as you read, bright dreamer.
Kites soar on the breeze of your imagination.
Your smiles light up the night like stars.
Laughter and shimmers of hope dance
around you as you play and romp,
run through the house like a comet's tail,
popping up as if you dreamed yourself a wave.
A sparkle, a lovely light, moonbeams in your eyes as you
investigate your world, explore it like Eden,
gleam like frost in sunlight; the curve of
each swan's neck is the movement of your dance.
Peacock feathers are colorless when compared to you, you who are
exceptionally bright, a kaleidoscope of color.
These days you are true beauty, a vast field of
rainbows that multiply and divide. Ballerina,
your spirals spin the blue of the earth, set all in motion.
The Night Before a Day of Rain
In the blue flashes of the television's ever-shifting images
my lover's skin glistens; his scent fills me, the room.
I stood with him in the living room kissing earlier tonight.
Never have I known more passionate kisses-
like whirlpools, they moved us into a downstream motion
of sweet sensations, driving us into night's
violet-deep, into the center of the tenderest moments.
Every breath he now takes falls soft and warm.
We enfold each other as magical hours stretch on.
I hold him, touch his skin with light brushes
to sooth him, comfort him. Every touch tells him that while
his summer may be gone now, warmth
yet comes, laughter and joy have not gone.
Overhead shadows walk the ceiling and walls-
until a car passes completely
before morning's rain will come and last all day.
In these still night hours, he fills my
Life with joy and peace. Together we can know
laughter that easily flows, take it day by day.
Yet somehow I want him to know, this
panther that pounces lightly over me, how
exciting he makes my life just by being
the man he is; his bed is my Eden;
rock me, baby, in the power of your arms and heart,
your touch and kisses purify my life so much more than a day of rain.
Moments Like Roses on Fine China
We curl up together,
on the sofa or on your bed,
a pile of picture books at our feet.
We talk, take turns reading,
sometimes read in unison,
Especially sounds, numbers,
and capitalized or italicized words
amid the sentences.
We read these for effect
and emphasis.
You're a bright star growing brighter;
I'm privileged to watch you shine,
to know your child-magic;
these moments anchor to my heart;
I practically hold in my breath
to retain how precious you are.
Tuesday Night
I adore the easy laughter we share,
the shades of cooler evenings
we spend together, recognize together.
The stars gaze on us,
the trees bend towards us,
the smoke from your cigarettes
wraps around us.
We touch or connect
as we watch television,
sip beer, interlace fingers,
your daughter asleep
across the room
and a certain peace
blanketing the night.
This Night
Skin damp from rain-drenched night,
we quickly skimmed off our clothes
like wet suits, dived, open to pearls
of possibilities, into the bed, riding through
waves, swelters, rising and falling,
doing splits, tumbles, and flips. Sudden
gymnasts and swimmers headed downstream and back,
seeking what glitters under a ceiling or what could be the sky
for all we know as we start breaking
our way over shells, dragging ourselves back into
deeper territory, then shallow, sweeping
sometimes, at others tangling up,
limb over limb. Soon gathering up clothes
by windows someone might see into,
pushing past our bodies' fires and heat,
trying to cool ourselves, but the thunder
and rain still continue down in their
brilliant measures. We get close
on the sofa afterward, your scent inside my soul.
None of the rain can wash it from me
now. None of the dazzling lightning
can touch the light in your blue eyes,
azure jewels. The night's tugging at my heart;
I curl into your chest, listen
to your heart, my hands gliding
over your smooth back,
sweeping currents of warmth and rapture for you.
You have so much grace I can barely hold myself
from telling you what words echo in my mind.
One Woman, One Heart
The air is heavy with your scent,
everything from your touch to your kiss
lingers on my lips and body for hours
afterwards-your fingers interlace with mine as we squeeze
the night from between us-
the October moon's a crooked smile
with even teeth.
A candle burns on the table.
Can you hear
my heart's call to yours?
Can you see my dreams of beauty?
Your face haunts my dreams.
Your daughter might be dreaming
of sand dollars or starfish on a beach
or of tumbling or bike riding;
you might be dreaming of fishing or hunting,
golfing or playing tennis.
Do you ever dream of me
the way I dream of you? Day-dreams,
pipe-dreams, all-night dreams,
longing dreams, today's dreams,
tomorrow's wishes: all my dreams
have you two in them.
In every light I dream you.
In every dark corner of my mind,
the light therein is you.
For me, even when the light wavers,
you never do-my dreams are constant
and constantly of you and your daughter.
The air is heavy with your scent.
I may just be one woman,
I may just have one heart,
but all I am and this one heart
I offer you;
When I look into the lake of my dreams,
it is your face and your daughter's face I see.
The air is heavy with your scent,
and if I lie awake tonight,
it will be the shape of you I'll see-
I can hold in this secret no longer:
I love you both, I just being
one woman with one heart
filled with you and with her
Maura Gage
