They Draw Still Closer

Pahn is driving a giant

          yellow excavator

Seeing Djuturna        by his play structure he stops

                   his large machine

at a safe distance    and walks over to her

He is standing

                      beside her

                   Egairia

who has left her husband

is nearby         watching Djuturna’s young son

and Heemir (or Dave Van Ronk?) and others

are standing     across from them

 

                                                   Pahn

                            wants to touch Djuturna 

He is wondering            

            how he may    touch her

             

                  in this public place

He remembers

 how she has put her hand on his arm

and rubbed his back  

                and so he thinks      he       may also 

  and

            reaches his arm             to rest

                                                            softly

                                                         against her

 

He doesn’t know if that is enough

He lets his hand slide

around her side

and feels her body rising

                          through his arm

                                                     to his heart

                        his hand

sinking into her waist

  He wants to pull her together with him

but restrains himself

 

                                           Over by his fence

Djuturna’s young son is climbing a ladder 

Pahn      is surprised that Egairia

               is letting him climb 

The toddler ascends to the top rung              and teeters 

there while Egairia

             lost

                        in thought stares             at the fence           

                                touches the vines on the slats 

Pahn      is surprised

that she            is not paying attention

                     and surprised

that Djuturna is not watching              He sees

the boy fall

straight down  to the ground

 landing on his feet             

            Pahn steps away

 from Djuturna         and walks

  toward the little boy

 

on his way      he is taken aside by Heemir

who tells him quietly

that he is crazy

                                                to hold back from Djuturna 

that it is obvious

Djuturna wants him

              and that he is being mean

                         to not let her have him

Pahn goes to the boy     picking him up

bumping the boys head against the ladder (he thinks)

                                 But the boy is happy

                                                             to be lifted

He carries him back to Djuturna

and hearing Heemir’s voice in his ear

kisses her

on the mouth 

Pahn    and Djuturna

are chastened

                by the intensity

                               of their kiss

He sees himself

          with her inside             his head

                              floating

               in stippled                     

                 grey      making love                        

                                           and knows                
                                         and knows

                                                   and knows

but he still feels                                   

 constrained

                                                               to hold her