et puis?

On bikes and everyone else has called it quits, peeled off into their own directions going to lie down in front of fans
with only sheets on the beds but it's still sick-hot-sweat-humid-sticky at 4 a.m. and that means the fence at Bathurst pool is never too tall to climb over if you get your feet in the right links in the fence I bruise too easy and will show this part for days but it doesn't hurt, not comparatively

I've never been skinny-dipping and still can't quite, but I will get close and you can self-assured and that beyond-confidence that makes me need to swim meters away from you makes me need to take off and keep that distance

but when I lean back against the pool wall and stretch my arms and close my eyes
you come and press against me kiss my chlorine mouth like it's the only thing that would make sense to do right now
like that's what you need, have been needing

and I push off the wall and out of your reach and backstroke across away yelling,
'don't ever do that again if you do that
again I will slaughteryou in your sleep sweartogod'

but I still follow you home, don't I




[I will only tell you stories of times far enough away that maybe I won't get into trouble for]