That night we turned some of them off
but left the hall bulb bright,
sending one bar of light into the living room,
so we could see.

Which of course meant they could too ---
us impressionist through the thin white drapes
as you lowered yourself to me,
the curves of a distant landscape

opening across your pelvis,
your body slick and valleyed
in the August heat
and your back arching like a bow

drawn by an invisible tendon
strung from the top of your head
to the end of your toes,
loading you with our meeting.

The night windows opposite performed
their Morse codes,
side-swipes of curtains,
until eventually every one of them went dark

and the only light left was a siren's,
sending its blue strobe across the rooftops
like lightning in the corner of my eyes,
somewhere far away yet near,
as with a sigh you rose from me
and walked into the lit hallway,
trailing the dress of your shadow behind you.