I like to watch you sleep

I like to watch you sleep,
and when your eyes flutter open,
I like to watch you rediscover the world;
the sun peeking through the blinds,
the honey of your naked skin,
the bed sheets we lie under, still damp
with the sweat of last night’s lovemaking.
I like to watch your lips
curl and fold, expand and purse
when you smile and call me “sleepy head.”
You’re wrong— I’ve been awake all along,
won’t let you out of my sight.

—Nortina