Victory

She shut me up from the basement stairwell
It felt great to be yelled at like I was at home
I put one finger over my lips, mimicking hers
Then wanted to be her, with all that power
Perspiring in the heavy afternoon, it was so commonplace then
To know directly I was not a thing of this earth

And we all thought that was fine
Just another way of doing things here
She still looks at me with those mean eyes
Every time I climb a stair she retreats
Until we are in the kitchen
Kissing hard against the stove

“You are the only place I am,” I say into her mouth
The tea kettle lets loose a shrill howl of victory
As we have just defeated the enemy
“Yes.” I say again. We have done this together
Her mouth is salty with every other man’s taste
I went to the ocean with her an nearly drowned

Right on the shore