before
dawn,
in the
instant of
awakening,

my dream is
to feel
your breath,
in a whisper,
brush my ear.

like a storm surge
it floods in,
lightning sends
to frenzy all my
fifteen thousand
cochlear hair cells,
clanging like
carillon bells.

in that timeless 
moment, once
again, you 
are real.

in full squint,
i scan the room
to check.
all clear.
empty.

first light is pink
and orange,
it isn’t finished yet.

i take a long stretch.
try to interpret
what it was you said.

it was your
quiet voice,
unmistakable,
even after all
these years,
speaking just
one sentence,
higher pitched at end,
i rub my head

a question then?