The lights go out

The moment the lights go out

and I unfold my legs under the sheets,

I long to feel you beside me.

I wrap my arms around sweatshirts and old stuffed animals,

or I stretch my limbs to cover every possible inch of the bed.

No position seems to replace your presence

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I shut my eyes and imagine your breathing

my ear to your chest,

your heart beating softly but surely,

my cheek nuzzled into your breast,

my arms wrapped around your belly.

The feeling of your skin comes back to me

soft, warm, unscathed.

I long to feel your lips press into my forehead,

your hands brush through my hair

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Every morning I wake up on your side of the bed.

Your pillow isn’t nearly as comfortable as mine

but I stay there as I drift in and out

and the morning light wafts in.

One day closer to being in your arms