the dance ended
but it was not until he saw her the next night
that they were able to talk
the air was still clean
he had rarely even spoken to a girl
he was 21 years old
it seemed everyone was possessed of this knowledge but him
he was a slow starter
because he had always been unable to express his love
yet he knew so much about sex
she was not what he had expected her to be
and yet they reinforced each other
she had an enormous smile on her face
they just couldn't spend enough time together
it was actually painful to them
he loved her
but he didn't expect it to work out
she had been the first person
who made him understand the true nature of love
he didn't know how to deal with his feelings
they were apart for most of the year
he didn't know why but she just left it all behind
while he lay in bed thinking that the walls would fall in on him
he didn't even bother to shave
it hadn't occurred to him to tell her he loved her
in June she was back at home
did this make life more or less difficult
sometimes he felt he could take it no longer
he imagined dragging her into the bedroom and pulling off her clothes
with the girl he loved there would be something beyond the act itself
he was in heaven just walking along
it felt so good it was like a beautiful trance
from now on it was him and her
there between the statues of soldiers
the only place he ever wanted to be