806 as she lay dying
halfway crying
sobbing
panting in fear
nothing in her voice clear
the room filled with heels
glossy veneers
swept neatly under
spring full lips
lotion parted hips
the message clear
help me now
I responded somehow
Valet ballet
Elevator dance
Counting room numbers
I glance
804
805
806 the door ajar
found jarred
in a robe
laying hair sprawled
leopard dress on the floor
arms swaying
and just the raspy noise
of lungs
trying to fill with air
what to do
inspecting the room
a woman lay dying
as I enter and loom
pill bottles neatly stacked
in the bathroom
flipped open lids
water falls from my mouth
into yours
swallowing
wallowing
asthmatic asthma inhaler
how I longed to see you later
not even stopping to think
what would it look like
if you just died here
in my arms
a total stranger
nothing stranger
than me
here
alone in this room
with you
as you lay dying
on the floor
rationalizing cpr
broken purse hangs from the table
this expensive room like
a movie scene
in motion and incomplete
four years later we meet
I don’t know why I came
Enthralled with life
You don’t know why
you called
in your moment of strife
Head cradled
in my arms
Whispering you are safe
Finally
I notice the soft curves
The bridge of your nose
The jaw line so smooth
Even as you lay here
Exhausted
Full of panic
Mumbling so maniacally
Scared but focused
Into your eyes I can see
My how beautiful you truly are
Listening to your direction
I continue the inspection
Of the situation
Drawing the line in my head
When to call 911
If you seem to fall
Into any worse state
Risking state prison
A violation indeed
A woman dead on the strip
I see this situation
As dangerous as
Your collapsing lungs
Thrusting hands
Together we lunge
Breathing in
And breathing out
Filling your lips with air
Billowing hands
Your dyed hair pink
On the ends
A little girl’s life
Depends
on the decisions
I make tonight
Bringing you back to life
God works in this way
Kissing me now you lay
On the bed
Wanting to reward me so
Telling you that I don’t want
To be repaid this way
You disrobe me anyway
Swallowing the city
Outside the eighth floor view
The pool below chatters
Like birds flocking to water
Into the night we go
Twisting our bodies
Making this dough
Kneading and threading
Slow, how l need it to be
These days
starring like a scarred child
Only seventeen sometimes
I seem
To be emotionally
Turning us over the sky
Belongs to the night
High above the Sunset strip
Into this King suite we dip
Fleshing out what were to happen
The moment we first spoke
On the phone
Four years ago
