they walk the line

There is a line
they do
not cross.
They dare not
cross. They
cannot see the line
but they know
where it is:
It bifurcates
(look it up)
and makes things
safe. Or at least
safe-er.
Sometimes, they see how close they
can come
to crossing the line without, with
a nod, or a smile or
a wink
or a whisper, which she did the
other night and he held himself back.
But
he got close.
Maybe too close.
And it wasn’t
the first
time.