For the young couple in the stairwell passed on my way to teaching Medieval World Literature

I have

been you

years before

of course. Your 

eye-laughter 

and leaning in

toward each

other caressing,

then your

quick kisses

barely noticing

me passing

upstairs to 

my next

class hour

to examine 

courtly love. 

Hopefully setting

the concept

straight with 

how in Dante

Palo and Francesca

reading of

the infatuated

Lancelot alone

with Guinevere——

when they

fell all

trembling to

one another's

mouth, kissing

So too 

Palo and 

Francesca when

their doomed

eyes met 

that fateful 

day, trembling 

in likewise 

passion, read

no more

that day.