Trying To / Trying Not To Touch Poem by Jenny Kalahar

At the outer, furred edge
where yellow-grey molecules from a streetlamp
hit ground and round gravel
and nearly disappear into nothing
I dip my toes
expecting to feel wetness
or a dim warmth
but get nothing in return

I stand near you
where your aura nearly ends
and mine nearly ends
and wait to feel us connected
wondering if the slight heat from you
into me
is the beginning of enchantment
or merely bioscience
disappointingly practical
when all I want is magic