louder every time

  

I.            he talks to her when he is naked when she isn't
               there, tells her dangerous fast-moving bloody
               things when she isn't there to hear them but
               when she is there she feels the weight of the
               room the scent of his blood and him slowly
               taking off her clothes, she wants to know she
               says she wants to find what is written on his
               skin, she spends the night stretching it biting it
               tearing pieces off trying to figure out what it
               says

II.          he talks to her on the phone when she is in bed
               with him having sex with him talking on the
               phone with him like he is someone else she is
               someone else and he is doing the same thing,
               and when they're done he puts his receiver
               back in its cradle and looks over at her lying
               there, still on the phone asking over and over
               again are you still there

III.        he talks to her about their relationship as if it
               were a room, him walking in seeing her there
               sitting on the bed doing a crossword, as if they
               could put the windows wherever they wanted,
               four letters she says hole he says room he says,
               as if they were lying together in bed the puzzle
               finished and thrown away, the door swinging
               open and shut in the wind.