Saying Yes and Staying

As her volume rose, she stepped out on the right,
and with a slam, started up her drive
without ever looking back at me.

I tried to recover, shouting something
I thought she'd want to hear.

But when she turned and said the only thing I didn't,
I told myself it wasn't worth it, reversed,
and started the other way.

. . .

Further away with each spin,
I began comparing during-her to before-her,
and then raced my own tracks back to her street.

. . .

But approaching the door,
I looked up just in time
to see the only light in town still shining,
that through her bedroom window,
quietly go out.

So I just stood there,
in the dark,
left only to imagine her above,
slipping inside to close her eyes on me.