Love Poem: Cavafy

Coming back
from the ski trip
in the back of a van,

it had gotten dark

enough for
the steady hum
of the engine

to lull us all

into a deep sleep—
my best friend
and I having

the backseat

all to ourselves.
Have you ever felt
your body starting

to lean toward

its truest
intentions—head
hoping hard

for a soft landing

on your buddy’s
dozing shoulders?—
a journey in inches

that took me years.

Source: Poetry (November 2023)