rummy

I play my heart cards close to my chest, one
hand firmly holding its smooth yet cold edges, another
dropping to their lap
to rest and warm my fingertips.

Diamonds twinkle in their glasses
as their eyes look through me and assess my hand.
They flicker back and
discard some spades.

I draw a club.
I sigh out its heaviness,
detach its utility from my chest
and shed it off.
But the hearts remain still
encased and
away from their glinting eyes.

I'm almost out of discards
and my options are always narrower.
But this heart meld won't be in disarray
(i tell myself),
it'll be either under my firm grasp
(close, so close to my chest)
or laid off on the table, bare for their flirting appraisal.
Soon, i think.

But then they meld their cards away,
its diamonds scattered through the plain
surface, their face conclusive:
a shy heart game, a shed club
and that is all.

I keep my heart cards close to my chest, but
they win, so they take my hand and my hearts with it.

anticipation

i just wanted to
kiss your eyelids
gently
caress your lips with my
thumb

as i slowly
brush your shoulders
wandering down
toward your
omoplates

or maybe
stroke your faintly colored
hair
and feel it
tickling
against my fingertips

and then

but we're far far apart
and i haven't as much as
kissed you hi yet
our mouths are always touching
masks and fogging our glasses
and when we reach out into each other
is always through
books and words and
feelings

often songs
but hardly spoken words

yet, sometimes i permit myself to
long for your bare skin slipping
warm
(maybe chilly, maybe wet)
against
mine

Formas de marcar o tempo

Subtrair doze minutos do contador do microondas
- que corre mais que
as pernas dos segundos -
rubato

saber do número de mortos do dia

do mês da 

pandemia

pesante

contar os comprimidos restantes da cartela
ritenuto

ouvir os chamados da cachorra para a noite se nos debruçar 
e com ela o tropel descompassado
de andante noturno
presto

descartar o relógio de movimento
que parou na semana 1 ano 1
fermata

sentir o pó sobre a superfície de trabalho

ritornello

ouvir o caminhão hospitalar
esfregando a entrada de pedestres
na descalada da noite
sforzato

calcular o tempo
temperatura gramatura

do impasto
a tempo

desenhar agendas semanais
às segundas
para ir riscando
tarefa-a-tarefa-a-periodo-a-periodo
da capo