her turn

 
it’s been eighteen months  
since I did my walk  
into cold freedom
away from her arms  
legs
eyes
and other things
that make her
woman
 
smashed her first
with three words
then the silence
I’m good at
 
spent eighteen months ploughing fresh pastures  
back in the saddles of the new  
and never did find a woman  
who took it like she takes it  
 
never found a woman I gave enough of a fuck about  
to call  
after the game had been played  
 
and in the end
gave it up
 
 
so  
a few nights back  
went walking  
politely drunk  
across the paddocks
up the track
only locals know
to knock on the door  
I walked from
and like all good women  
she already knew  
I was coming  
 
took me into the kitchen  
for chicken soup  
and the dog at my feet  
 
didn’t talk about much  
stayed late  
stayed ‘till morning  
stayed  
 
end of the weekend  
drove south for work  
“back in two weeks”  
looked all the way into her  
said “see you”  
 
this time it was a promise
to come back
 
and it was her
who did the silence