We are sitting under a durian tree,
and you've spent the afternoon
here with me, it's been warm and we've
got wine and we've barely moved.

I prod you gently with my bare feet,
you look so funny sprawled on the ground
in your combat clothes, with your shirt undone,
and you squint up at me with your green cat eyes.

I tease you because you love winter
and you're sad because you miss that weather
at the moment and instead poor you,
you're stuck in the warm glowing summer.

I giggle as I reach for the bowl of puffed corn
and I flick my wrist up and send it
soaring skywards, I stick my tongue out at you
as it falls around us, I yell 'There, it's snowing for you!'

You sit up suddenly as I'm laughing
and you grab my waist and pull me in towards you,
our eyes meet and we both know
where we're going with this and so
you lean in towards me and I think I smile,
I part my lips in readiness as you do the same
and my eyes close as our mouths meet
gently for that special first kiss.

You tell me later that I tasted of sunshine,
and salty puffed corn and strawberry wine,
and you will always remember kissing me
on a warm Ero's day in Meropis, sitting on puffy corn snow.

Penned by my hand on the 16th of Ero, in the year 863 AF.