Indian Summer, not a cloud in the sky.
You arrived with cool grace and passed me right by.
But good friends and good cheer found us soon side by side,
a hellion rose and a world-weary guy.
Thought something was there but I sure couldn’t tell
we’d be under Love’s ineluctable spell
by Nightfall.

We took it real slow – dinners, walks in the park.
A long weekend away sharing Truth in the dark.
Stripped down buck naked before that first spark
ripped through our bodies, tore open our hearts.
Nothing hidden, held back, no doubts or regrets
to dampen the force of those sweet breathless breaths
come Nightfall.

Sometimes I still wonder how we soft-landed here.
Was it Fate or dumb Luck? The answer’s not clear.
One thing I do know is having you near
makes every burnt Autumn the best vintage year.
Yeah, there’ve been ups and downs, hurt pride and ego,
but we learned how to laugh and wrap up the show
before Nightfall.

Well, I’m only human. I’ll always want more.
Not content with just enough, I crave an encore.
But all things end in the worn exit door
that hovers so close to Life’s neighboring shore.
Truth be told, I’ve never been a more gladhearted man
than with you beside me now, holding my hand
at Nightfall.

SHIRLEY CRAVOTTA is a Long Island native whose work has been featured in several anthologies, as well as in Long Island Quarterly. Shirley teaches courses in Creative Writing and Yoga,and is committed to encouraging lifelong learning across all generations.