The Pearls

I reach for the pearls
That you gave me ~
And clasp them
Round my neck ~
The last gift that
You gave me ~
My last tie to you ~
Lies cold and heavy
Against my skin ~
The way my heart
Lies leaden in my breast ~

And I wonder if
It will ever go away ~
This chill that ices
My bones ~ and
Makes all thought
Of warmth and comfort ~
Seem like a mirage
Or a magic spell ~
From long ago ~

Sometimes I think
I should rid myself
Of this last reminder ~
But I know
I never will ~ just
As I know that I
Will never be rid
Of the memory of you ~

I wonder
If you ever think of me ~
If you ever remember
The good times ~
Before it all went
So very wrong ~
So very quickly and
So finally ~

So hate me if you will
But don’t forget me ~
I could bear anything
But that ~

If I would go on ~
I must believe that ~
So long as this world
Shall hold us both ~
You will remember me ~
As I remember you ~

(Originally published November 29, 2012)

Prelude to Passion

The towering clouds
And freshening breeze
Tell of the coming storm

Just so my love
Your grim face
And angry eyes
Betray your mood

You’re looking for a fight
And I’m quite happy to oblige
But while we spar
I’ll bite my lip as
I gaze up at you through
Lowered lashes

Fold my arms
Beneath my breasts
And touch the heart
That hammers almost visibly
Against my skin

Your speech will slow
And silence will engulf us
As the air between us
Heats with promise

I said that
I would fight love
I never said
That I’d fight fair

 

Royal Dilemma

The silence hums so
Loudly in my ears
I cannot hear the sound
Of my own heart
The heart that I rely on
To guide me through

The very air seems
Preternaturally still
Though I feel it moving
Through my body
I see the rising and the
Falling of my chest

What kind of alchemy
Do you possess
Are you a demon or a
Sorcerer that everyone
Falls prey so swiftly
To your charms

Am I to be the one exception
To the rule
The only citadel to which
You have laid siege
That has not fallen
To your passionate assault

But this is not a game
The stakes I’m playing for
Are higher than they’ve ever been
My heart and the fate of
The kingdom and my people
Hang in the balance

So when I make my choice
I must be guided
By more than love
I must be mindful
Of my duty to my
People and my throne

What shall I do . . .

The Time of Dreaming

My sheets are tangled
And my thoughts race
Was I only dreaming
Or was I truly
Remembering

There was a man’s face
Almost your face
But the eyes were wrong
He did not look at me
With love

There was a hunger
But there was fear as well
Though what he had
To fear from me
I’ll never know

Was this a memory
From another lifetime
Or a hint of a lifetime
Yet to come
It is a mystery

But not all mysteries
Require solution
And you are here and warm
And the dreaming
Is soon forgotten