My deck is bare
Tables and chairs hibernating
So I lay on the wood
The rough presses into my head
My legs relax; crossed
Loafers; no socks
Pants rolled to knee pits
Face bakes in the sun
Hoping the heat will help
Raise the dough of my imagination
Create something more crisp
Cause some kind of oven spring
Of good ideas
Of better actions
Than the fluff I’ve been thinking to take
…Because I’m thinking about last night
And meeting you
And how much it took for me
To not break eye contact
To not slouch or turn away
To keep everything calm
In control and progressing smoothly
As you leaned into my little world
Eyes wide; smile unbelievable
Bigger than any I’ve ever seen
And oh, how I mean that genuinely
When all of a sudden
My ear starts to ring…
As if an oven timer was telling me
Times up; get up; open up
…Or that maybe
Or maybe not…
She was thinking of me too
The heat on my skin sharpens
The words appear more clearly
But is it really time?
Or is it still premature?
Will what’s been cooking be enough?
Or will it be somehow off?
I lay back down
Let the rough press back into my head
Cross my legs and lay my arms
Surrender to a hopeful sun
The oven gets closed
…All I know is well done
P.s. You can read my other poems here.