warded & armed

armed & warded, guarded 
by charms and guided by 
signs I looked to your 

eyes
and 
told you: 

"Whenever
approaching a car, I have
a precognitive sense that says
this is or it isn't

the car 
that is going
to kill me.

So I'm safe so far. And 
approaching a bird, or a
bear, or a bare stretch of ground
within falling distance of a great,
or reasonably great height - I tune

in 

- I have to tune in
for it to work, you see. It's not
sudden vivid flashes crashing
like they say, or in shows - 

and I find by the sense whether this 
is the bird, the bear, the killing

ground or not. Or the car. And I tell
by the signs whether the sense is right
or not. So far: every single time."

My voice and eyes grew serious
but not sad. Edged with hope, 
trailing trust.

"It only works
on cars, bears,
birds and broad
flat surfaces. 

Not on you. 

Which is why 
I had to tell you.
Ask you: can I
trust you like I do? 

Or...?" 

My voice trailed off
with her eyes. She
turned, and turned
back. Her eyes 
were like death.

Disappointed death. "So
have you ever found the bird,
car, ground that was going 
to kill you?" 

"Not so far, I grinned. Lucky!" 

"Have you ever even met a bear?" 

"Oh, I stay away
from bear areas. There's 
too much risk" 

"So - it hasn't actually worked
once? Has it?"

Her intent gaze, here 
seemed to hold

a message
of its own. 

I held her gaze.
My voice weighed a ton.
"Well, I hope you're as glad as
I am!" 

She sighed.

"Well, I was"