& on cue,
the conversation receded,
leaving only the rain to speak.
In that shared silence,
our interlocution continued
wordlessly, visually.
Her eyes were an abri
from the wuthering storm,
an earthenware hearth
that offered limitless warmth.
They welcomed me,
and I wanted for nothing,
and I wanted nothing else.
Once she saw me,
I saw no one else.