TWO VERSIONS

blah blah blah

she says

and I listen

like a robot trying
to do something
it has been programmed
not to do

and then she whispers
in my ear
and

releases the rarely mentioned

as if by the force of the wind

and I think
I might

shiver.


and then...


She talked
and he was tired
but he listened anyway
and he tried hard
even though his body said
go to sleep
or watch tv
or do anything else
that doesn't require thought
because he loved her
and he wanted
to be attentive
and loving
and giving
and he started to close
his eyes
and he started to think
about work
and then she whispered
something
in his ear
something not very important
that seemed so very important
for having been whispered
and every thing else
in the world
fell away
and he shivered.