The autumn leaves fall.
Late October London is covered in hues of orange and purple.
In my solitude by the river I daydream that I am
an adolescent reptile escaped from Kafka’s Die Verwanlung,
Laid back in the sun.
My nostrils absorb the scent of cologne
Perhaps later, for now I am content to observe.
To my advantage I know all about these men
While they know so little of me.
Thinking of you
Dying just a little, dead and dying all hope of
A dream never realized
I imagine my earthly body padded sat beside yours on a grassy knoll
to breathe in the scent of lilac and the mossy green River Delta.
later, in the dark I am nude but for a shadow across my torso.
You are so near and to resist this burning desire
I distract my mind with Roethke’s “In A Dark Time”.
In your arms I sway like a young birch in a summer tempest.
I am reminded of when we gave away what we had already lost.
We hold each other now, knowing love has died and we with it.
art by Fabian Perez
