(Fantasy Challenge)

under the mountains of night

i will pretend that you are here, shadowed
in headlights, that we are here in the greyhound station, butte
montana, 3 a.m. rest stop, two rows
of chairs inside, pepsi machine by the wall, its blue sign
signalling victory, a half dozen guys
leaning huddled against the wall out here,
i will pretend that i am from a snowblown icebound
city on the far inland plains, it is october,
there are claws of ice gripping the ground
in the bus station garage, i am shocked
to be in a place with ice not dressed for winter climate,
as though i had never stood anywhere cold before, i will pretend
i feel naked here, gritting my teeth in the cold,
not cold really but night and ice,
glare lights in the bus station, the men
waiting shivering by the wall blink
at me blink at each other blink at someplace else,
i will pretend that i have always felt this way
around you, naked and shivering,
you come toward me out of the shadows
tall and cool, slow hands and quick voice, you look
at me your eyes warm with night
knowing more than i do, a sky of knowledge,
you see into the wells within me,
the water quivers in the light of your knowledge of me,
i will pretend you come toward me,
you say something to me and my words grow silent,
and i move into myself and touch water,
and i know that i know nothing of the answers
but the questions have never been so beautiful,
i will pretend that we are here, standing here
in the noise and quiet of night and cold,
the bus is going to leave soon
and we are both quiet,
the mountains and plains will be filled
with night, it will be warmer tomorrow,
i will pretend this, i will pretend,
because it could be true,
that one day i will see you again,
we will speak to each other again, here
in this world lit by ghosts and dreams.