The First of Fall

The sound of your name was like dripping acid into the hole in my stomach

and was the antidote to the short term memory that had plagued me for much of my life

I saw you from across a room with only a white t-shirt and jeans

and you were stunning

You hopped over furniture, and people, and cars,

just to keep me this way

And you covered my shoulders,

and your hands were embedded into my cheekbones

You pushed me up against the wall,

just to let me know I was yours,

just as you were mine

And the summer air of years ago was standing still just for us,

until that night, at my doorstep,

when I noticed the burning leaf, speckled, and imperfect,

and the sound of a distant tide---