216)

[12:40 a.m.]
cocktails and togetherness
set against the backdrop
of an exposed brick wall,

here in this hotel room
on the morning of your
birthday--the seventh

one we have spent
together, the seventh
of yours that i have

helped you celebrate.
it is an honor to be here
with you, to be the

object of your affection.
my heart is full and yours,
always.

[12:44 a.m.]
sometimes all we
need is a change
of scenery; tonight
we find it in sage
green curtains and
bedspreads, the
television glowing
on the dresser. this,
tonight, happens to
be our getaway, our
temporary reprieve
from reality--just
the two of us, existing,

together.