I like that you kiss me
with your morning breath—

that you kiss the sides of my mouth
and the tip of my nose.

I like that you tell me that you tried
to keep the light out of my face
as I dozed in the morning sun.

I like that you can’t
keep your hands off my body
and that you tell me like
the silhouette of it.

I like that, despite all of that,
there’s so much more of me
that you’re interested in.

I like that you wanted
to sleep with me,
but not sleep with me.

I like that you tell me I’m pretty,
and that you tell me to
make sure I look in the mirror
and see that for myself.

I like that you say this even though
my makeup is smeared,
my hair is messy,
and my eyes are still heavy with sleep.

I like when you start to
squint as the sun starts to rise
and that the new light makes the
kaleidoscopic blues of your eyes
look ocean deep,
with mountains that are
sky high.

I like the way you look at me
with them.

I like how much you like
when I’m sitting on the counter
or when I’m wearing your shirt.

I like that it is so hard to
get out from under the covers
when the duties of the day
call louder than our
desires to stay cooped up
together.

I like that you leave
the toilet seat up,
or perhaps just the fact
that you’re around
to do so.

I like that we have
fallen together,
no sooner or later
than we should have,
and that we simply just fit so
perfectly.

.

Author: Paige Berling-MacKenzie

Editor: Yoli Ramazzina

Photo: Author’s own.