Effervescence

The fuzz in his eyes is the same bleary look in the horse’s eye
The horse that lives on the carousel, in a black and white moment
Pinned to the wall

There are twinkling lights in the dark, pale skin in the light
A small tiptoe walk, a gliding, and haughty strut – he changes
He kisses fingertips, sometimes I watch
Sometimes I wish it were me

How does it feel, he asks, how does it feel
How does the sky feel when its orange on your skin?
When the leaves fall but they’re soggy and dank?
I could fall in love with anything at all

Burning pictures in a dark room
Chemical smell and red light
Quiet, focus –
Quiet, he’s focused

Tell me about your Mom, I say
What’s she like?
I don’t understand where he comes from –
I can’t imagine him a child tying a shoe –
A boy kissing in the dark –

He has a spark and he loves the Titanic
Did I know that now they think it was the rivets that made it sink?
No, I didn’t
He’s excited, I haven’t seen this for a while and to witness it feels like a gift
My mother must have felt this when I finally came home

Breathing up and down
Sighing tempos, cadences, codas
I never could write a song so I settled
He curls up tight, in blue plaid sheets

Tell me about your Dad, I say
What’s he like?
I understand where he comes from –
I see him small and hiding, watching Daddy and his cigar

He twinkles
He twinkles
He twinkles