If I only had
no time
to tell you
everything.

I would begin with yesterday
red gold perceptions
blurred through the falling leaves
of a cool Autumn dusk

A wicker chair
creaking upon the tilting verandah

The tinkle of glasses
shattering laughter
crystal refractions
rainbow
fairy lights wound around
your bare arms

Wrist bent to accept
reflections
breaking against the tremble
of lips

The dance of hands
adoring contours
shaped and shifting with the
shadows

We wove garlands of days
in wild flower disarray
gnarled branches
secreted within the splashing
color spilling over your lap
to greet me

Then
we bled to sepia
wide grain textures
fuzzy with acceptance
of passing

If I only had
the time
to tell you
everything

I would speak you today

Ravenous
now
as then
the adrenalin kick

want flickers

flame biting warmth
upon coppered skin

The start of each instant
lingers
the fall of time
you and I
reaping a harvest of summers

Today
in its infinite dazzling spark
leaps in cavorted boundless glee

A smattering of words
candle wax drip
heat on skin
each delightful burn
surging over the shameless
coupling of ideologies
we debate Castro
through red wine smiles

If only
I had the time
to tell you tomorrow

An old dog
tongue dangles
on the soft pattering
of dusky days

We are bound
beneath the weight
of memories
a heavy blanket of snow
to snuggle within

The words whispered
hushed rushed
and placed gently
in a thousand voices
loud clarion
lowest utterance

hang over our bed
silver framed needlepoint
carefully threaded
over endless nights
with tired fingers
aching yet resolute
in completion

You are quieter now
as we come to accept sleep
as the final brilliant flash
of a time
so long
and too desperately short

My If-only
slips from worn hands
to land between us
bent
spent and emptied
of time