There was a girl with germanium lips and geranium eyes

Taking sorrowful sips from an Indian chai,

And I sat in her booth and I said through the steam,

"From the time you've been sitting alone it would seem

That you might need some help getting home when we close,

If you walked through this storm you would lose half your toes."

From the depths of her teacup she turned to the window,

"Death waits in the darkness, the snow," said the shadows.

"I might," and her still sad expression implied

I might find out her name if I gave her a ride.

"Well if that's still the case in ten minutes or so,

I'd be happy to take you where you need to go."

She thanked me and waited while I cleaned the bar,

Then we nervously, wordless went to my car.

In the cold leather seat, in her earth colored coat,

Her face captured the sodium vapor lamp glow

In such contrast to every dark surface in sight,

She appeared as an angel in heavenly light,

And as I watched the clouds fade she made with her breath,

I imagined I felt every fall of her chest,

And I wished for the cotton we wore to unwrap,

Weave itself in a quilt, and hold her on my lap,

Then release us in springtime to sunshine and loam,

But instead I released her in front of her home.