Poem for Portrait of a Lady on Fire

by Mia Aguilera

For now, there is the beach.
Running for the sake of running.
The sky so wide you fall into it.

I pass the hours,
lingering over words to a simple question.

At night I hear the swish of your skirts.
See you standing in the dark,
glowing in a white dress.

I hold out my hand
& you taste.

The scent of salt in your hair.
Softly, softly, you breathe.

Rain patters, the ocean swells.
Cliffs rise in the night.

In a room with light blue walls,
I am
repeatedly startled by your face.