Love and Interruption

We were midway through

The lovemaking

When the volcano erupted

The rumbling was, at first

Conducive to our activity
But then, we realized
That our lives were in danger

This thought

Termination
Only served to instigate our lust

And we carried on

Right there on the beach

While villagers ran past us

And tourists took photos

Not of us, of course
Although I suppose some of them
Could have been taking photos of us
It would have been hard not to
Since we were directly in view
Of the eruption

At that point

Lava was making its way

Down from the mountain

And my lover was biting my earlobe

In a way that smothers sound

And suffocates the desire to live

If living means stopping him

From doing that which gives me life

The roar of the volcano

Coincided with my roars of pleasure

And as boats were being loaded up

With those who make their lives

On the island

My lover smelled my hair

And rubbed sand

Into my neck

I thought to myself—

Is this how I die?

And then—

Would I care?
Would I really care
If this was how I died?

So many people die in situations like these

Tragic

Sudden

Bewildering situations

Where they try and try

To escape with their lives

Only to perish anyway

And their last thoughts are—what?

Panic-stricken?

Morose?

Grievous?

I wanted my last thoughts

To be of my lover

And his breath

And the whispered way

He says my name

When he knows

Only I can hear it

I didn’t want my final act on this earth

To be running

I wanted it to be there

Laying in the sand

Loving something

Loving somebody

Loving the sand and the surf

And the drums beating

Signaling that this was it

This really was it

Water and fire fell down around us

And as it did

I reached for my lover’s hand

Not so I could grab onto it

But because I wanted to squeeze it

Just once

Just to let him know I was there

That I had been there

And I would always be there

Until the fire burns all that’s left

And the waves are ready

To take me away