Cuddle

I am 16 walking
From my house to
The village hobby
Shop to look for new
Board games when I
Notice a girl my age
Or a little older standing
In her backyard pensively
Holding her hands together
Watching some little kids play
But looking at me so I stop
To say good morning to
Which she replies Buenos Días.
Neither of us speaks the other’s
Language though we both speak
Sign language since our interests
Are obviously mutually clear.
We communicate by smiles
Hand gestures and laughter,
I use my two forefingers to
Simulate a kiss which elicits
A giggle and smile of consent
So we kiss then look around,
Then I put my two forefingers
Into a kiss up close together
Then an embrace which elicits
A more intense smile and she
Shakes her head yes so we
Embrace and kiss for awhile
Holding each other tightly.
I then use my two forefingers
To sign the same thing only
Prone not horizontal and she
Looks into my eyes and
Gives a nod of affirmation
But there is no place to
Put this scheme into
Effect in a backyard
Along the street
With three little
Kids playing
So we hug
Cuddle
And
Kiss all
Standing up.
We trade names
Trying to arrange our
Next meeting but I never
See her again though
I pause by the yard
Each time I walk
By to see if she
Is there as I
Go to and
From the
Village
Hobby
Shop.
She
Was a
Sweet girl,
A darker shade
Of brown more Indio
Than European mestizo,
Black eyes and long black hair
In a thick braid and voluptuous to
Gaze upon and nearly my height
With a tiny waist with a brightly
Braided belt of colorful prints.
Her voice was clear soft like
Velvet and her skin smooth
To the touch so much as
I got to experience.
Perhaps she was
Only visiting her
Relatives and
Returned
Home to
Mexico,
I was
Too
Shy to ask
Though I looked
For her for years
To reappear,
She never
Did.
Only her
Memory of
How easily we
Communicated
Remains clear
Even all
These
Decades later
Of the girl in
The yard
Looking at me.