paint over a black sky

I took my woman to the river bank

South by Jefferson

we were nude and everywhere

she moved like a fish out of water

we were past the city lights

and that night

she tried to move the moon

with one hand but couldn't

we kissed



her lips were bitter like lemons

this was the first time she saw the stars

untangled

carelessly thrown like paint over the black sky

and she saw the sun

stick its head out over the distant hills

and it was as bright as a thousand headlights

coming over the Van Wyck

that morning





drew degennaro (Baldwin, NY, 1985)