How far are these 'higher things'
from what I feel for you?
The earthly, humble touch
of your hand,
the pressure of your shoulder
on the side of my head
when I'm tired,
the smell of laundry on your
shirt mixed with your
end-of-day sweat.
And what if these things
bind me to this earth?
Our baby's gummy smile,
the smell of his fingers
after he has sucked on them
because he's teething,
his warm cheek after he
falls asleep?
I would go no higher
than the height of our
shared bed.
I fix my eyes on the
circle that we make
and pray for God's
forgiveness for coveting
all this borrowed
time.