The skin of dolphins –

I would push my word to you
like paper boats blown over water,
my breath and thought
mingling in some galleon of tension
or a candled skiff of hope
which searched for a landing that would let me
walk
semblanced in happiness, received in joy.


and you would watch me,
ignoring the things I said,
your eyes lingering on my mouth
and the movement of my hands
and the shapes they pressed to the table,
absorbing some essence of me
and waiting for my glance


which came in shock,
swamping the boats I created,
drowning the motions I thought,
as large gray creatures
broke from the water and
leapt out of stillness,
touching me for the first time
as I saw the color of your gaze.