Poetry, An Affinity with Sheep and other poems

Night in the shelter

I woke from the warm depth of sleep

to feel us breathing as one,

uninterrupted bodies gently locked

like spoons in a drawer.

Your knees behind mine,

head pillowed just above mine.

I didn’t want to break the spell

or wake you. I remember

focusing on our togetherness,

our breathing in unison,

on closing my eyes, shutting out

everything beyond us.

The noise of the falling

bombs came later

and your arm tightened

round my waist.