200 Kisses

200 kisses—
We numbered every one,
No two the same,
I am thinking of them now
And the sweet fragrance
That lingers from your skin,
The summer dress
Clinging to the antique chair,
And your bonnet at rest
By the foot of the bed;
You have gone for the night
But this desire remains.

At work,
Beneath the cool antiseptic glow
And the polished floors,
I can hear them
Asking about the day
And where you go,
What shall you say?
How many clever ways are there
To disguise our love?

I will not stir
From where we lay—
My hands vacant,
My lips dry;
I see your face,
The curl of your smile,
And know why
I still believe in angels,
Beating back the wind,
Their delicate wings on fire.

I listen closely
For the sound of key in lock,
This world spinning like a gyre,
And live to count
Each moment with you,
Kiss by kiss by kiss.