where
you had only
to touch me
others had
to present a history
a bibliography,
and a justification

but 

no question
remains, 
that a gift
easily given
lightly received
is wasted

no one can
touch me
the way
you can/ I should say
did

but

no question
remains
your touch
was not lightly 
taken

and
my body
has spent 
a lot of years
awakening

too long
in fact
to stop
the process

your touch
is
somewhere
across the ocean. My imagination
has never
been poor; but
cannot extend
to a life
where touching
comes only
in a letter

Celebrate 
the word.
we
are both
poets;
taking the world
ultimately
seriously

but the word
can only
give life
if it acknowledges
the lips
the mouth that made it

the body
that pumped the 
sounding air

where
you had only
to touch me
others had
to present a history
a bibliography,
a justification

the touch
comes first
remains
is the last thing you
remember
after you
turn
out
the light
at night.