Mary Szybist

I spent a long time falling
toward your slender, tremulous face -

a long time slipping through stars
as they shattered, through sticky clouds
with no confetti in them.

Girl on the lawn without sleeves, knees bare even of lotion,
time now to strip away everything
you try to think about yourself.

-into the 3rd second, the girl
holds on, determined not to meet his gaze-

she swerves her blue sleeve,
closes down the space,
while his eyes are intent, unwilling
to relent and

late into the 5th second they are still
fighting on

but the delay

is what she has
before his expert touch
swings in, before
she loses her light, clean edges, before she
loses possession-

before they look at each other.