someone had doused
the walls with
gasoline in the room
and removed the furniture
coverings, the bed
to the middle of the floor
and lit it all on fire

two figures curved
into one another like
an S inside of an S
his mouth buried
in the back of her hair
one arm under the neck
curved 
conjoined with a
smaller arm
the other
loose over her ribcage
laid next to another
small arm
a hand devouring a hand

lolled drowsy by
the crackling of the flame
lazy over linoleum
and the hypnotic warmth

he began to rock but stopped
himself and she took over and
rocked them both
gentle side to side

why
are we doing this
she crooned groggy

it’s comforting
soothes me to sleep

stopping the motion
he stretched out
one slender arm
to its hilt
watched
the shadows move
into the crevices of his flesh
watched them
on her shoulders
craned at
the stiffness of his body
tight up against hers
pulled her into him
as if she would fit
all the way inside
and the house
turning itself into
smoke and ash 
around them