Behavioral Homeostasis

You are every degree that drops lower.
Every second of cold sliced by the fan
into two seconds more. Voyeur bleeding
in the air.

On the first day of winter—or some freak
day of summer—you are what makes me strip,
shiver, and present. So I can feel you.
All of you.

And, on this day of winter—a summer,
too—I find myself just as reluctant
to pick out a coat, or cover. Let’s spot
the difference:

In the first, you've left me for so long, and
a t-shirt or skirt means hugs, hello’s, touch.
The second, you’ve left me again. I want
to feel it.

This poem was originally featured in the Spring 2024 issue of the New Forum student literary journal over at UC Irvine. Please click here to view the rest of the issue, which is full of wonderful works by wonderful people.