when she takes off
her dress it reminds
me of the way you take
off your dress
like it was christmas
and you knew
it was something special
from the glances you've gotten
in windowshop mirrors

my verse i couldn't
do violence to it
building the levees higher
shoveling the floodwaters
back in to atone for a
lack of foresight
green chartreuse
looks
good
on
you