At the End of the Day

men embracing in bed

Bare chest to naked back
skin pressed hard to weary skin
one arm awkwardly squeezed
to the mattress below
the other wrapping him tight

Silence, mostly silence
we turn, reverse position
his arm now wrapping me
in duration proportionate
to the burden of the day

Sometimes hanging on
is simply hanging on
sometimes it is survival
the one reliable embrace
the world can offer