The initial absolute of "black"

fizzes out; reds and blues and shapes pulse

with every beat of your racing heart.

You can feel her hands, see the basic outline of them,

of her shoulders, her curved collarbone.

As you reach for her -

her chipped blue nail polish and her bright split ends-

as she smiles

you can feel it

and you find your arms wrapped around her waist like you know the way home

breathing her in, breathing you out.

You don't mind the dark so much - you'd rather dance like this,

hushed giggles, soft touches, tender kisses on shoulders

- than to never dance at all.

Her smell is burned into every pore of your body as you spin, uncontrollably towards the edge of nowhere

as you fall asleep with your long limbs intertwined

as she peels herself apart from you and dances alone down the sidewalk in the early dew of dawn.

Her smell will linger for hours,

beautiful lilacs embracing you when you wake.