Eggshell

by Teresa

Darkness is thick throughout the room
Silence is broken by the gentle rasping of air
Coming in and out, in and out
With a consistency that is not unlike the tides
I can feel the low, soft warmth of his near-side body,
Even now still beautiful in sleep
Dark waves pour out onto the white mound of the pillow
Like late October grapevines scattered on a snowy hill
Waiting for the first spark from the match to ignite their
Tangled pyre
Lids closed, slightly shadowed with sleep
Lashes sooty, tiny fgeathers resting on their cream-colored cheeks
Beneath the smooth, cotton contours of the sheets
Lies a remarkable tangle of flesh and skin
Even now still pulsing with life, in the quietness,
In the darkness, this stark, brittle darkness
That could be cracked with a single yawn,
I still feel that all is at peace
So, I nestle closer to him, and wrap my arms around him
Like a dressing gown
Not daring to crack the nocturnal eggshell of sleep.

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