What Intimacy Asks of Us

intimacy asks us
for touch
it asks us to embrace
and be embraced
without us asking

intimacy asks our
bodies to strike
against a moment
in time

one a.m. and I am
melting into
a sculpture of limbs
contorted
angular
a still life
right arm tucked
left arm draped
leg crumpled against leg
warm back
radiator heart

a slight movement
to brush aside my hair
or to encourage blood flow
is accompanied by the
realisation that
we are in fact
two parts
after all 

and yet, intimacy asks us for more

than just touch
it also asks for
words
from our deepest
parts that we hide
in the dark

and in the right moment
with the right person we
illuminate those parts
and from the light
of language comes
closeness and clarity
and closure

a feeling of safety
being seen and soothed
as if I couldn’t fall
but if I did you would
put out a hand