washing ashore

i get the nudge
in the middle
of the night,
when i'm swimming
in the deepest
part of sleep's
ocean, and she's
treading water.
i get the gentle
push and tug with
hand or elbow, hey
honey, you're
snoring. an hour
later, i'm awake
and she's asleep
and i give it
back to her.
i touch the curve
of her shoulder
and whisper her
name. i steal
a kiss along the
warm coast of
her lips. that's
all it takes.
and this is how
it goes, from
night into day.
with gentle nudges.
and in the morning
we wash ashore
together.