“Your Body as My Blanket”
She crawls in bed
and curls up like the ones in her hair.
He strokes her
from the brown of her locks
to the white of her back.
She falls into the palm of his hand and falls asleep.
Her breath tickles his fingers as they move on her neck.
He knows she’s cold
and he shares a warmth that calms her whole body.
That makes her go from shaking in his sheets
to stillness in his arms.
He traces her freckles with the tips of his fingers
sending tingles
down
her
spine.
His touch is like a blanket.
Covering her.
Protecting her
& shielding her from memories that made it hard for her to crawl in someone’s bed before.
Bruises are gone
and now all that’s left
is the brown hair
is the white skin
is the sound of her beating heart.
She sleeps.
He listens
then kisses her goodnight.
x.
