This Is The Fear

he tied a silver necklace around her throat
her hair lay scattered around the pillow
languid eyes watched him
as
he sat on the edge of the bed
facing the afternoon heat
pouring in
from their balcony window

Somewhere someone
was playing a sad jazz song
maybe it was Billie, maybe it was Ella
maybe even Nina Simone
too far away to tell
he pulled the tshirt over his head

He turned to watch
her fingers
trailing languid circles
in the dust of his floor
round and round
little circles
And
he knew

this is the moment
this is the fear
that curls in his belly
round and round
in little circles
and he knows
that he will fall
from her arms
into the sky
five floors down
hit the gravel
this is the fear
the knowledge
that there is no escape

he tied a silver necklace around her throat
a fragile heart
languid eyes watched him