Her lips are red

Her smile is soft

Around the room a menthol waft

Her heart my place to build a toft

 

Charcoal swirling on the page

The edges now umber with age

Brown corners curled with years and tarnish

Though the faded marks don’t heal my farnish

 

Satin cascades down her back

Like crimson ripples, turn and tack

My eyes are frozen, squint through the haze

To memorize a sight that I can treasure for decades

 

Motionless, she looks at me

She, the first to ever see

I take her shawl, now in my hand

She smiles and I’ve forgotten all I’ve planned

 

A shaking glove extended out

To fill the void in my love dry drought

Her hand is silken, white as wool

My mind drains to all but null

 

I wrap an arm around her waist

The remnants of ale I still can taste

Her eyes bore into my soul

Both filling and ripping the aching hole

 

Her laugh is of birdsong, sweet and melodic

The gunfire forgotten, however chaotic

High heels click upon the floor

As the sound grows louder, my heart does soar

 

She holds my hand in her silky grip

With the other I crinkle the coffee-stained slip

4F turned 1A, though from her side I’d never stray

I really think I’d rather stay

 

I lean in closer, smelling roses and powder

The roar in my head grows even louder

My hand on her hip, afraid I might miss

She pulls me in for a velvet kiss

 

Her foot rises up in the moonlit silhouette

Our hearts beat together in a flawless duet

In that moment is when I see

She was always made for me

 

Hand in hand, the path we walk

Softly engaging in idle small talk

I’m not good at this, never was

I hand her a primrose, just because

 

Her lashes flit, and make me stutter

I hear a politely closing shutter

In the moonlight, we start to dance

Each other’s gaze an effective trance

 

Round and round and round she goes

I just hope I don’t step on her toes

The rose glows in her hair, the petals fall

I love her, I love her not

I love her

 

I see the water growing near

Down my face, a single tear

I hear her words, laced with dread

The crash is deafening, burning red

 

Icy cold and frigid air

My heart breaking, emotions laid bare

The freezing water closes in

This is one fight I don’t think I can win

 

Now in this new world, I myself find

I’ve never been good at being one of a kind

I promised I’d be there at eight

I can’t believe I missed our date

 

Old and frail she is now

Though still beautiful, I don’t know how

She smiles at me, inside I glow

There’s no other place I’d rather go

 

By her bedside I sit, quiet, and think of the days that she must borrow

If we wish to be together tomorrow

At least once more I got to see

Her ruby red mahogany