We lay in the balmy mid-afternoon

Our whispers grow into glowing yellow spheres

I like the way 

Your hand closes over mine when 

We share secrets about her, him, them, us

And then what? You wouldn’t believe what happened next

Your voice is nice when you giggle 

The floorboards are cold against my bare legs

A sticky feeling coats our foreheads

It’s warm here, we head outside for fresh air—

Your poodle mix rushes in as the sliding door budges open

Any better?

In the shade, I say

Outside the sun is setting and the summer critters are starting to hum

I quite like that word—hum

There are not enough pages in my journal for me to paste this moment into it

You’re looking at me and I want to tell you that the 

Jasmine flowers in your backyard 

Smell as sweet as the way I feel 

Around you