Maybe I Need You

The birds fly home for the winter,

well,

not all the birds.

Some stay and endure bitter cold winds

carrying dried leaves of the fall

across my lawn

and back into the woods behind my house.

As the frost gathers on the tips of the blades of grass

gray sparrow stands with its feathers fluffed

driving off the cold

in the crooks of the branches of a small pine.

Maybe,

the sparrow needs a companion

to stand next to her

soliciting the warmth of the summer.

Maybe,

as the August heat dries the earth

as we sit by the lake

watching the fireflies in the bushes

I can see the months ahead

cold and lonely affairs.

Maybe,

I will need you in September

and October

and November

and December

as the wintery breaths cover our days.

Maybe,

I will need you next to me

to warm my hands

and smooth down my hair

tangled from the cold wind,

as I stand

in the corner of the filed

watching the boys play.

Maybe,

I will need you

but maybe,

we would forget the warmth of each other

and our bodies laying in the warm bed.

Maybe,

you won’t need me to run my fingers

through your hair

after our love making.

Maybe,

I would need you

when the memories become a whisper

in the cold days

of the upcoming winter.