as if to stop the time

tiny breaths on pillowcases

baseboards ticking like my mind

which one should I cuddle first

   as if to stop the time

one more year, I tell myself 

   he hasn’t flown off yet

heartbeats strong underhand

down upon my back 

   she finds her voice

   breathing deep

watching her throat move

in her sleep the jugular 

   practices its truth

the trouble is I think I still

  have time,   I hold her tight

wrap my wings around her frame

  lest the time fly by

…

This poem was first published at Alaska Women Speak