Her fingers long, soft-tipped
stroking his upper back
softly squeezing his
shoulder

She kneads the nape of his neck
caressing the cup of his ear
trailing his five
o'clock shadow

She does not
cannot
will not
know
how deeply
I am moved

His palm slides absently
from the small of her
back
over the swell of her
hip
softly patting the upper
reaches of her
thigh

He does not
cannot
will not
know
how my hand
remembers
similar voyages

They are each young enough
to have a future
While my years reflect
excessive past
In sleep they
dream sweetly
My nightmares
rage bitterly
Their hormones leap
and release
While my mourn
and remember
They look at me
never knowing
That I look at them
with envy
as they move
to life
While I to the
great perhaps