Like a sailboat striving
To catch the wind,
I shift from side to side.
Each time I get up and return
You awaken too
As if in loving you
Our two lives have become
Synchronized.
You tuck the paisley comforter
Beneath my chin
And take my hand in yours
As if I were a frightened child
Seeking reassurance
From his mother’s warmth.

When I slept at Mike and Gert’s apartment,
I listened to their comings and goings
Until I learned to recognize
Their endless ablutions
And medical complaints.
Light on, light off,
They paraded through the night.

Now I too have joined the ranks
Of the night wanderers
It happened all too suddenly
The evening I looked into the mirror
And found my father’s tired eyes
Staring back at me
With such serious intent
I had to catch my breath

(originally published in Poetry Pacific)