A Kindling Soul

Obscured by light, Covered by smoke, Fancies and overdue-sighs Cloaked hands evoke Stuck between two hard places, A wall, unmoving And another, abrading. Confusing, abusing. Sheet between her teeth Hair sprawled about. Nails digging in, deep. Objectionable, each sound. A lonesome tear glistened In an unlit room Closed eyes didn’t hinder vision, Each instinct else consumed. Skin and lace, Entwined, intimate. Like fingers, and lips, And each sultry breath. They came and left, And came again. The ticking clock rang, All disappeared but pain.

As she stands at the corner Of a lake, Ever so slightly frozen, The stillness of the water Resonates with a distant memory. The building that stands in front of her Is reflected, distorted, In the lake that separates them. A quiet, unmoving body, Staring, at another. The clamour of her thoughts Fermenting, festering, Rang out in the placid silence Impregnating the stagnant, Disconsolate lull that surrounded her. When the pandemonium in her head Began seeping out, The air around her vibrated As slowly, each tear rolled out Every breath lingered longer. Her heartbeat began to fill the space Thumping, thrashing, Lamenting for air, Uncontrollable, without a respite, As something broke inside of her. She fell to her knees, Rustling the leaves Dry, brown, under her feet As a ripple rose in the lake, Brought to life by her tears. Her agitated reflection, blurred And grew. As the evening fell, once again, A quiet, unmoving body Stared at another.

I wish I'd meant something to you; But each day that passes  Shows me  That I didn't. Not even the electric friction That our skins conjured Under the open sky And the yellow light. Not even the clandestine stairwell That reeked of lust Of you, of me Of us. Oh, delight! Did nothing mean anything? At all? Ever? I wish I'd had the courage to speak; Speak up, speak out, Or maybe, Just ask. Why those half kohled eyes Captured your attention Amidst an ocean Of tactile allure? Why the restrictions faded When the night sky fell And the prying eye shut And all seemed obscure? Would you have answered? At all? Ever? I wish I knew how to rid myself Of this hold you have Over me Even now. Of the miles between us, Of the charm that penetrates them And this unfinished business, Unuttered. Of the trust that we tested And the grips of the monster Still clutching each nerve Unfluttered. Can we let go? At all? Ever?