First Time

every clock tick
is a first tick
never to happen just so

some ticks echo sweetly

returning as a lover
tracing my toes
intertwining with my fingers
sweeping up my body
lingering warmly

breathing again
as a new experience

in my bundle of sweet clock ticks
this one stands out

an all-girls weekend trip
first one

a hot tub filled with giggles
a run through the sprinklers at night
vulnerabilities shared in circles

thrift shopping for dresses
taking the wrong freeway exit twice
dinner in a black knitted gown
karaoke under street lamps

no judgment
six women

my heart held safely