Drawn

She's twisting her jewellery again.
Making a carnival ride that twirls
ever faster and more frenzied
between knuckle and joint.

"I'd like to draw you two together"
she says, languidly and offhand.
Reclining by the pond, staring at the sun.
Match your fiancé's flattered leer.

Turn in time to catch a flicker
darkness stirring in her pupils
but it lifts along with her cheeks.
You dismiss it as refracted light.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Somehow you end up artfully posed
draped around one another
arms and legs intertwined
perched on his lap so naturally.

Her swift, graceful hands make
as good a place as any to stare.
She has moved that thin silver band
from middle finger to index.

You remember it hugging her skin
when it used to fit where it should.
Counting back, you realize it's been
too long since you've seen her eat.

Questions die on your lips;
she requires absolute stillness.
She's working on the face, you see.
Look at each other and smile.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Admitting your unabashed greed
you lie in wait inside your door
kiss her to the wall until she submits
pretend she wasn't late to the tryst.

Charcoal marks brushed on your arms
not as dark as the bruises you leave
shading the landscape of her skin
nor the shadows floating under her lashes

She comes fresh from depicting you
locked proudly in another's embrace
Taking her smudged and dusty-eyed
feeds into your desire.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thin square leaning against the front door
She hates the ceremony of giving gifts.
As exquisite as expected, with one weary
note of hunger in your devoted gaze.

Send her flowers, must remember
The two of you stand transfixed
poring over each complex detail.
It has become your new obsession.

Nail it to the wall in a place of honor
paper eyes watching your dented pillow.
The fight for its possession becomes
another excuse to stir the blankets.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She eludes your warm grasp at dawn
Sliding from under covers to lick the window
Searching for a snowflake in all this heat
She wants to know if he liked it.

You wax poetic, rising half-asleep
to fondle her ribs and pull her back down.
You swear the gods carved her from ice
with ridges placed for your touch.

Abandon the embrace to caress and trace
every detail of smooth canvas.
Mesmerized by shadows and forms, you
ignore her lips seeking yours for once.

Thin hand presses your nose to canvas
lines crossing themselves like nuns
Nothing can remain perfect this close up
hissed in your ear especially not lovers.

Lust lowers your eyelids; you reach out
such a tease, no need to be shy now.
Footsteps creak, cloth rustles, doors shut.
Empty Air. A child denied its toy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The only picture you have of her:
a self-portrait sketched on your sheets
etched into your bed as a hollow
where her figure used to lay.


~~~~~~~~~~~~AEW~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is dedicated to the one I mock...What? <-- More Poetic Ramblings