Tonight I lingered over your name, <br />the delicate assembly of vowels <br />a voice inside my head. <br />You were sleeping when I arrived. <br />I stood by your bed <br />and watched the sheets rise gently. <br />I knew what slant of light <br />would make you turn over. <br />It was then I felt <br />the highways slide out of my hands. <br />I remembered the old men <br />in the west side café, <br />dealing dominoes like magical charms. <br />It was then I knew, <br />like a woman looking backward, <br />I could not leave you, <br />or find anyone I loved more<br /><br />Naomi Shihab Nye<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/san-antonio-2/
