Gypsy Heart

Night folds its thin black line
and settles back
to wait in a quiet corner
where stars turn their attention
to children collecting wishes
like fireflies in jars.
Hopes drop one by one,
making themselves known only to hearts
that dare to wear a disguise
and place wagers on unsafe dreams.

You weigh my consequences in the balance
where your thigh
curls to meet your hip,
and make it my undoing.
A dangerous trick,
no doubt taught to you
by a Traveler who watched you twirl
your gypsy smile around his heart
in a swirl of bright autumn silk
that kissed the surface
of lives you never knew.

My restless fingers
take your measure
and pluck your resolutions
stitch by stitch,
watching them fall to the floor
as your skin whispers
it impatience against mine
and the rise of your breasts
cupped against my chest
is the violent admission of surrender.