Leaves dance on cold concrete
Winds sting our noses and fingertips
But all is right with your arms around me
and I find safety in the shadows of the night
I can feel you through my body
You are the sweet taste in my mouth,
the reason I get out of bed
And you keep me warm in the winter,
with your overwhelming intensity
That look that forces me to turn my head,
in fear of drowning in your eyes.

Yet no words can quite describe this feeling
No arrangement of letters on a page
No rhythm, sound or melody
Which makes the night more valuable,
knowing everything could change by morning
Without your arms, your eyes
I am lost in the darkness of the bitter night
And I wander until summer


Jess Swain loves creative writing, acting and all aspects of the theater. She has performed in mainstage dramatic readings with Sticks and Stones Productions, and served as House Manager, Assistant Stage Manager and Props Master. As a member of the Sticks and Stones Players interactive youth theater company, Jess has performed many roles, and choreographed and written several songs and raps for productions at the Kaufman Theater, American Museum of Natural History (NYC). She also performed her own material in the Second Stage Theater Outreach Program, "In the Door." Jess is currently the Assistant Director of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" at Hunter College High School, NYC, where she is a junior.
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