Maybe some darkened center drew me to you,
beneath the fissures and riptides of what you were
that others mistake for who you really are now,
I could see a reflection so close to my own.

The way my hesitant touch
spills over into relentless exploration,
a need too consuming
to know patience now.

The way time contracts to a needlepoint
that every sensation slips through,
magnified and stretching us,
all nerves rendered raw.

Maybe something in the dark
made me clasp your hand,
squeezing as if it was my way
of telling you that I'm no longer scared,
that you must never forget this side of us.

The way my mouth finds your neck and makes
a scorching seal around every bit of skin
this relentless exploration will allow.

The way you smile when seeing the need
that immediately flashes through my retinas,
whispering that you want me to burn,
to light the dark with our stars.

I'm magnified and stretching
as you begin to contract,
rendering me helpless.

Maybe something glowed through you,
through our fissures and riptides,
as I became a hostage to a slick vise
when a hot rush relentlessly releases.