It's 4 a.m. and basking in the gentle glow
Of dawn's pink fingers
Are a boy and a girl, shunning sleep
And feeling inadequate in the other's presence.

"You know I love you," whispers the boy.
The girl nods and notes the frustration in his eyes.
She feels it too-
They both wish for a word stronger than 'love,'
One not overused by Hallmark and
Overzealous teenagers.

It's 7 a.m. and the sun is unfurling itself from behind the horizon.
The boy and girl still lay staring at the ceiling
And each other, feeling drunk off sleep deprivation and the touch
Of the other's hands.

The alarm clock blares and they know they should arise.
Each consider dismissing the idea-
Perhaps they will just stay in bed all day, glowing in the sunlight
And making each other feel beautiful.