East Glen Hotel at dawn

she awakes to the warmth of his great bear skin
body soft against her face buried in fur

his steady heartbeat tribal in her ear
as it echoes of the night’s rhythms

the sun mocks them through the cave cracks
taunting the mendacity of the day ahead

he stirs under her and reaches a paw to brush
her hair from the tangle of his morning stubble

feeling the landscape of her head her breasts her stomach
stretched out across him, creating its own gravity

opening one eye to confirm she is still truly with him
and not a residual illusion from some delicious dream

each hoping this will not be the last time
they feel this way in the chill of the blue dawn

each thinking this could be the last time
they feel this way about anyone else again

so they wait; not wanting to be the first
to break the magnetic force holding them together