TheBanyanTree: Morning

[Linda DeMerle]

The morning breaks gray
awakening us with loud splats 
of rain flattening themselves
on the skylight 
and the bed is so warm 
and smells like us 
so we linger there 
and lie close together 
like we did when we 
were young

After breakfast 
he kisses me, softly 
on the mouth and tells me 
he loves me
he pockets his phone
ties on his shoes and pulls on 
his coat before he 
he pulls shut the door
with a soft 
kind of 
authoritative
almost-slam
and brushes the keypad
with the edge of his hand 
to lock me in 
like a treasure 
to keep me safe 
from marauding 
magazine sales ppl 
guys looking for work 
shoveling snow off roofs 
and Girl Scouts in parkas 
with umbrellas 
selling cookies