[irenic]

Ares is the god of war, so
who's the god of peace? you ask,
my toes jammed up
under your knees,
twisted under the blanket,
the way we sit on hazy Sunday afternoons
watching football,
old episodes of Jeopardy
(category: Greek Gods),
and cooking shows.

A golden leaf
snub-nosed and brown-edged
twirls beneath your busy fingers,
like an ice-skater
dancing on the pond,
while the rest of you lies slack
your body a still, deep reservoir.

I do not know this god of peace,
but certainly he resides here
in this tingling foot
resting beneath you,
the baby sleeping on your chest,
and the fireworks of cloud and mist
announcing the day's end
beyond our window.