Natasha

You have imagined falling
in love a thousand times.

It should hurt, shouldn’t it,
like all falls do, a heart-shaped
bruise, breath snatched from lungs,
nothing easy, nothing soft.

But tonight, you think
just this, just
the hand in yours, just
the rain-polished pavement, just
the low sweet laughter,
oh—

maybe this is it,
darling.
This is where you land.

by A.J.