I almost forgot to shut the door on the way out of the house tonight,

You were on my mind again.

A blast of the late night air hit my face, strangely icy for Spring I thought.

Walking up the back road to your house, I passed a woman walking her dog

With a young girl and boy running around her legs.

She managed a weak smile at me before yanking the little boy out of the way of a car.

She looked up at me and I noticed how tired she was.

I gave a knowing smile, but I didn't know at all.

I turned and walked on, not knowing whether to feel sorry for her or not.

A group of men were playing basketball with some boys on the next street.

As I walked by, a few of the men stared and called out to me, but I ignored them.

Pretty soon the men grew tired of making cat-calls,

And they all went back to their game.

Finally I reached your street.

I stopped for a minute and sat down on the sidewalk.

I stared up at your window and wondered what you were doing just then.

I got my cell phone out of my jacket pocket and went to the phone book.

I pushed the "T" button and your name popped up.

I gave a little smile and pushed the "call" button.

With the phone to my ear, I looked up to your window again.

Your gruff voice answered the phone.

"Hey stinky", I said with a laugh, "Did I wake you up?"

"It's okay", you replied "I needed to wake up. Where are you?"

I giggled and I saw you poke your head through your blinds.

You gave a little wave and we both hung up.

I stood up and walked up your driveway to the side of the little brown shed.

I sat down beside it and waited patiently for you, you'd be down soon.

You peeked around the edge of the shed and giggled at me.

"Hey guy", you say with a smile, "How's it going?"

I put a hand up so I can see you against the glare of the streetlight.

"Good" I said, "sit down stinky, and tell me about ya".

You slide down next to me and begin to tell me about your day;

The girl that's on your bus, the skate trick you did at lunch,

Where you got the hole in your jeans, and about the bruise on your leg.

I watch you silently and take mental notes of everything I love about you;

The way the shadows look on your face,

The way you squint your eyes against the glare of the streetlight.

The way you smile and laugh at the things you do, like you're your own private joke,

The way you poke at me playfully when you think I'm not listening.

Even the sound of your voice is nice to listen to.

I really love your eyes... so soulful and deep.

They say so much when you are silent.

I made little comments at your jokes, laughed when you said something funny,

And poked you back every once in a while when you needed it.

You glanced at your watch and announced that you had to go inside.

I smiled and we helped each other up.

"Bye!" you say and start walking to your door.

"What?" I ask, "No hug?"

You smile and come back to where I'm standing and look into my eyes a second before you wrap your arms around me in a loose hug.

"That's a crappy hug!" I exclaim and you start laughing.

You wrap your arms around me again in a tight hug, and although the cold wind is blowing in strong gusts all around me,

I feel warm all the way home.