the aging hopeless romantic

in an attempt to
spice up the
evening

he strips naked
and climbs
between the covers of their
bed, waiting for
her to notice that
he was no longer
in the living room,
knowing she’ll come
searching for
him and find
him nude
and ready to go.

15 minutes later
she goes looking for him
and finds him
asleep.

she turns off the bedside
lamp and lets him
sleep.

he wakes up early
the next morning
naked and
disappointed
yet pleased to have
gotten a few
extra hours sleep.

-published in James River Poetry Review