black and white

late into the night,
when nothing else was on,
she'd lie next to you on the couch
and watch an old movie,
black and white.
the films were classic,
full of people who always
dressed properly and were
polite. they had manners
and seemed more civilized
than we are.
the men wore hats, the women
wore gloves. they were always
on a train with nice luggage.
you knew who the villain was,
the hero, the heroine.
the love interest, the scorned,
the lost and trapped.
sometimes she'd fall asleep
with her head against your chest.
you'd let her sleep as
the movie played on.
the obvious plot, the music
too strong and leading,
the one or two cameras
that kept the shots concise
and clean. the endings were
satisfying, as they were with
her. always good and wanting more,
wanting to see her again
when the time was right.