When she shaved off my lockdown beard

you hold my face up by the chin

you clasp my legs between your knees

you make sure i stay still

you put cream on my cheeks

sharp blades slide over, baring soft skin

discarding the illusion of a few extra years

you touch my face, your fingers tracing

its contours; you hold up the mirror

it shows me a boy; i think

i knew him when i was younger

i move it aside and see you smiling

i see the home that boy always yearned for

Before me

I am scared of your past
Of your life before me
The lips that may have kissed yours
The hands that may have held yours
The bodies that may have embraced yours
Do you think of them?
Do you see them in your dreams?
If you were asked to close your eyes
And say what a kiss feels like
Which pair of lips does your mind conjure?