i stand in a twilit field

watching the water ease in,

watching flickering bats hunt mosquitoes,

watching you prepare to leave again.

the water seeps over dry soil,

finds every fissure, pours in.

the bat careens in circles,

appearing and disappearing against a darkening sky,

feasting and frantic.

you load the last boxes into your truck,

shut the tailgate, and meet my eyes.

it will be half a year

before you return.

the last light slips from the sky.

at least, this time, it is summer.

the heat of this night must hold me

until you return.