One morning...

The first morning light begins to make the room almost imperceptibly brighter. Songs of birds have drifted into our dreams and the edge of our conciseness for the past hour. We have woven their mating trills and calls into our dreams, scarcely able to tell dreams from life. Through closed eyelids, the sounds of our room and beyond, and the soft breeze from the window I know that dawn is coming though it is still dark.

You are still deep in sleep, limbs flung and back curled towards me. You hair is a wild tumble - your breath slow and deep. I am afraid to move. I am torn between keeping absolutely still, getting up, and touching you. I ache to feel you yet do not want to disturb your beautiful sleep.

These last few days have been a dream. This cottage has seen us talk and play and fight and love. It has cocooned us from wild storms when lightning danced across the lake and thunder shook windows and reverberated in our chests. We ran out into the rain feeling the heavy drops pelt our skin. We yelled into the sky - defying nature and laughing until tears streamed down our faces. We warmed our bones in front of a fire and drank wine until we finally fell asleep on the floor, exhausted, wrapped in blankets

We have made love in every room. We have made love in the meadows and in the woods. We skinny dipped underneath a cup of a slivered moon that spilled out a million stars across a big sky - the milky way a ribbon and a shooting star that now carries my truest wish.

In the black silk of water you wrapped your arms and your legs around me as we turned slowly like a dance. We kissed our kiss and held onto each other for a long time. After making love in the lake under the moon and stars to held me so tight and buried your face in my neck. Without seeing them, I knew the shape of your eyes.. I could feel your warmth and the beat of your heart.

We walked hand in hand and in silence back up to the glow and warmth of the cottage afterwards. We spoke little the rest of the night but we were always touching... elbows as we made dinner, feet under the table... we didn't want to break contact. sometimes a touch can say what a word never can.

I am now awake and thinking of this week and the room brightens further. Your breath changes and you change position and stretch... it is the stretch that makes my decision.

I place a kiss soft as air on the back of your neck... and feel you arch..