number 10 "bicycle"

tonight the sky was powdered milk -- and today, a fuzzy lined kind of day. everything was gray, even my heart. he's away, again. next to lake michigan.
i'm here.

i like his freckled cheeks and his morning time eyes. he tells me i'm a pretty girl.

we had four hooded-sweatshirt nights, four under-the-covers nights, four dirty-socked feet nights.. we had a plethora of red leaves and rain, a little cousin weekend, a laundry weekend... we had each other -- and autumn all to ourselves. and at night time, we had a smeared sliver of a moon -- accompanied by our small cloud breaths whenever we spoke...

he is who makes me better -

we drove today -- somber and tired, during the fuzzy-lined, gray day. and listened to rosie thomas as our hearts beat slower than usual --
my heart is beating slower than usual -- and rosie thomas is softly playing from the radio to my left. he's not here to turn it up when it gets to number 10.
he's just not here -- and i am. that's where i stagger -- during this powdered milk night -- absent from his warmth.