Was it the tenderness of youth?

Was it the tenderness of youth?

The swoon of naked bodies

Over the sofa

Empty bottles on the floor

The smell of sweat

And sex

The chill of a winter

Without electricity.

Monopoly a distraction

In candlelight

Until the fumbling

And as the light dimmed

The rutting began

In earnest.

The meter

A broken mess

Above the door in the corner

Somebody will have to pay

For the breach of trust

Eventually.

It wouldn’t be me

I was too invested in survival.

We clung together

Inviting warmth

To spread between us.

The serenity of sleep.

It was the only way

To remain innocent

And guilt-free.