3:16pm
It is almost October and your voice is giddy, giggling, rushing out of my cellphone speaker
It is almost October and I am giddy, giggling, rushing on a bicycle with tires that gush
Air is escaping, but
It is almost October and we are reckless.

3:29pm
I leave my bicycle by the door unchained, undaunted.
No elevator is no problem, though when I reach your sixth-floor apartment I am gasping
You ask if I brought the nail polish.
I hold smuggled cobalt bottle high,
It is almost October and we are victorious.

3:32pm
Your balcony has just enough room for the two of us
I hope your landlord won’t notice tiny sapphire drops lingering on cold concrete
You reach out through the railing and dribble color onto someone’s white perm,
Grinning like the devil while
One last burst of glory beams through crimson leaves
Cool sunshine conquers the dread nipping at our bare feet
It is almost October but we call it spring.

3:33pm
It is almost October and cool sunshine doesn’t dry the nail polish on your wrinkled feet
The way it did in August.
Your time is running out but the nail polish isn’t drying
I am smiling while I scream at the sun to hurry up
Like the force of my cheekbones will support a century of silent decomposing cells
It is almost October and there is still wet nail polish on your cold, concrete feet.