The air is silent, save our beating heartsLying next to each other, perfect strangers, perfect loversI study her eyes and see nothingNo love.No hurt.No lasting judgment.

Our intimacy is transientFor the dawn heralds our partitionOur paths crossed and shall diverge in this hotel She to the azure Adriatic I to the snows of New York

Oh gluttonous Sun, stay thy hungerLet the dark blanket our bodies and our fearsLike the night; a stranger obscures insecurityAs in the shadows, I can do what I wish without being judgedIn the dark, she only sees what light I choose to reveal

The silence is broken Her lips open and a soft light emergesA gentle, but confident question distills the night airShe beckons me to tell her a secretOne that is deep, veiled to all who know me

A shiver seizes my bodyThe cold felt when a blanket slips off in the nightThis chill is the fear of judgment,An innate fear that bids me to put up my guard.

Stay your guardWhy must you care?For you shall never see this woman again We met and shall depart as strangers.

I will not spin tales There is no need to seek venerationFor it is a rare circumstance to be freeFree from love.Free from disappointment.Free from lasting judgment.

With a slight pause and a faint smile I replyHer eyes sparkle with intrigue And her soft lips form a Cheshire grin

My response: I will not tell you, For we are no longer strangers.