youth; fleeting

the blast of exhaust

fumes heady, luscious in their toxicity

as we traversed rutted gravel roads

tossed our heads, our drinks back, in wonder

there was no then, only now, and now held such intensity

skin tingling in the sun, lit like copper,

our breath sweet with spirits, and youth

sleep, heavy and hard, under familiar stars that

we knew shone on us, for us, warmth in the cold

of a world we couldn't yet see

were those simpler times? we thought nothing of it,

no more than sand between our toes, the rush of a receding tide

salt-rimmed glasses and tousled hair

thrilling mysteries in the familiar, silhouettes nearly recognizable

exquisite pain in their beauty

steady hum of the engine, melodies in the balmy air

vinyl backseat, tangled arms, legs entwined,

comfort in loose boundaries

cheeks flushed like sleepy children

our eyes incandescent, our teeth white in the setting sun.