Nocturne Duet Poem by Thomas McKelvey

Ivy fills my lungs, expansive and
subtle, green and cool
in the night air. Somewhere
over my head, the stars shine,
don't they? invisible from
under this canopy, leafy crowns
of oak and sycamore, covered
by vines, crawling like fingers
wrapped around the craggy
bark, weathered and mossy,
softly glistening in the inky
shadows. I close my eyes,
listening to the sounds
around me, the rhythm
of the forest, that surrounds
me. Faintly, I hear it, a soft rush
of breath, like a fog, settling
as you exhale. I turn, moving
towards you, knowing you're
close. You quietly giggle, trying
to run quietly, to another tree
but, I reach blindly, knowing
that, like the stars, you are
there. My hand grasps, my fingers, caressing your hair
as you deftly sprint, keeping me at arms length, but
I have you now, surging forward
wrapping my arms around you,
I embrace you.
Your laughter echoes, a pleasant glitter, like the thrum
of mourning doves.
You turn around, and now I can see, your pale, moonlight face,
beaming at me. An impish smile,
like a girl who knows secrets.
My heart swells and my heat rises at the feel of you, leaning into me.
We fall slowly, gently,
inevitably
into each other, shining
like the stars, hidden by the trees.