Ko No Yokan (Japanese: the sense upon first meeting a person that the two of you are going to fall in love)

After sun fall one mid-summer night,

when all the light was city-stuck and incandescent,

you sat and glowed on your own

but no one near seemed to know

so I walked on over to steal your warmth

and you were hot-

ter than I first thought.

But you ceased to burn out so I

inched toward your flame and we played games all night,

acting pro at speaking prose

and blowing smoke rings at each other.

Then you spoke of Mark Rothko and a play that you knew—

I think it’s called Red,

and I’m sure my face flushed and resembled the play

as you toyed with my heart,

but you turned cherry too

on a mid-May night, in the city

with no light but your own that you shared with me

as we prepared to fall for each other.