clouds and mountains
playing hard to get

seeking each other out, while
rolling over
rolling under
almost touching—caressing

an intimacy as old as water and rock

practiced flirtation
rising up, coming to cusp, falling down
filling valleys—every crevasse moist

embracing, surrounding, swallowing
towers erect, solid

summoning out of emptiness
calling to bare, naked slopes

begging and needing
needing and howling
and howling
howling