lord, I ask you—make him good for me,
give him courage; make him mine

and in the meantime, let me dream sweetly
of feverish summers, him and his eyes

please do not deepen my agonies,
do not blacken them

make my agonies of beauty,
silky and sunlit with peonies,
birds singing, my mother laughing

because how will I stand yet another
bad dream about him?

please do not deepen my agonies,
do not blacken them

if you will not give me him, give me beauty
spat out of your mouth, warmed by your hands
I shall love it as if it were a lover

the rain sighs and weeps
and behind our back
a song of woe she sings.
you touch my lips,
your own fallen agape,
and here—
within the shadows of your palm
into our own kingdom I breathe life.

under your gaze,
as the light spills like silk,
I come undone,
your hand, godlike, caressing
each and every curve of mine
your mouth commanded.

under your gaze,
ever so slowly,
I become divine,
your palm, godlike, ceasing
as you hear my body sing,
your mouth, silent.

I dream of rivers
and that sparkle of theirs
sleeping upon sunlit waterlilies

my eyes sink into
that shimmering night of mine
and there I see
yours darling as sin
unsure of what to do
unblinking, wishful, gazing into mine

have I darkened them?
that tenderness within them
tell me, was it my doing?

drowsy river droplets kiss
that throat of yours
like I crave to

I dream of rivers
and that singing voice
of theirs lulling me
deeper into my slumber

the sun sets into
that gentle pomegranate color
of your unholy mouth
as you avert your gaze
then turn it back
and you speak about my
stars while you think
I am aware not
of it but I turn
in my sleep and
I shine brighter than
your foolish infatuation and
my eyes sink deeper
into the night of mine

I am a river
and that gaze of yours
will not halt my flow

I crave to sing
in that forest of your
heart but then sweetly
I remember mine is starlit