Best Before

Our bodies are a kaleidoscope,

limbs entangled in damp silk,

hearts pulsing to the drum of now,

yesterday, today,

tomorrow.

“You’re so perfect” you breathe,

calluses tracing my veins,

oxygen filling my lungs, and I wonder

if you can feel the fractures

of my imperfections.

Our love is a precious metal

and I can’t find the polishing cloth,

sulfur tainting the shiny of our new

and I wonder when

I’ll no longer fit the width of your finger.

“You’re wonderful” you sigh,

and I hear the hands of the clock forget to keep count.

I watch the sun freeze mid waltz in the sky and I feel the pressure

of forever

wrapping its fingers around yours,

around mine.

Our bodies are a kaleidoscope,

limbs entangled in damp silk,

and I wonder if you’re tracing the corners

of my expiration date.