Your mouth spelling out the word mouth, slowly 

across my mouth. One thousand times and then hundred 

and then twice, and then a thousand. 

The early heatwave finished off the last of the jasmine. 

The tomato plants stood around, as if they had no one to dance with. 

One thousand and one. One thousand and two. A quick three 

and I’m all skinned knees. The photograph in the gallery 

in Italy, it filled up the whole wall – a body in full-blown color. 

A thousand, then two thousand, then eight, and once more.