The Earth Between Us

It is September
and the heat of the day
turns my heart racing
like the blades of a frantic fan
trying to disburse the remnants
of a summer that never was.

Red leaves fall outside my windows
onto the dirt of the driveway
like droplets of old blood,
crimson with a death I love.

I can't take my eyes off the body
decaying slowly with the light.

I've waited through stagnant years
to unleash the fury of my life.
The switch has been flipped
and the spark ignites moment after moment.

On, off.
On, off.
On, off,
blinking,
then holding
steady.

For one moment at a time
we hold each others' gaze
in the dark house of the truth
and listen to the leaves drop
whispering to the earth between us.