girl in white

the man squinted close, face so near the painting that his breath warmed its textured flesh
dare he touch the surface and know its colors as warmth on the tips of fingers?
know the shadows, ye man, and how they veil each color
know too the ridges that catch a glare of light to set colors into gilded folds
each gaze steals a stroke for yourself on retina and holds it in close

he turns his head
a moment too long

the man tilts his head
his eyes, unmoving take in the whole of an image out of his reach
you may not know, ye man
but watch how each color fills its role
with details that melt and shout together across a space of floor

and i will be

as i am

even as you leave the room with the imprint of my form submerged in the eyes that sleep open

the radio takes me back

a year ago i was soaking up as much Charlottesville as I could in preparation to leave a town i'd come to love.

a year ago I was hunting for the best Miley Cyrus halloween costume C-ville's thrift stores would provide

I ran about 9 miles a week and had a 5 mile run in mind as my goal.

i had soft curly hair that got shiny if I washed it with the right shampoos.

a year ago i wondered what all those songs meant

i bid

if you sip cider with me by the window in the coffee shop

for today that's all i need to love you

tomorrow I may need a hand to hold,
or I may need space
to stride as a proud young woman

but today i could be madly in love with any of you who buys me a hot apple cider
and sits with me by the window
in the coffee shop