at first it was a fire, eclipses, short circuits,
lightning and fireworks
the incense,  honey adventures, smokes, wines,
perfumes; then bruises and honey, fever,
fatigue, warmth, currents of liquid fire, feast
and plague then dreams, visions, candlelight,
flowers, pictures
then images out of the past, fairy tales, stories,
then pages out of a book, a poem, then laughter,
then chastity
at what moment does the knife wound sink so deep
that the flesh begins to weep with love
at first power, power, then the wound, and love,
and love and fears, and the loss of the self, and the gift,
and slavery. at first i ruled, loved less
then more, then slavery. slavery to his image,
his odor, the craving, the hunger, the thirst,
the obsession
i will wonder about this for the rest of my life
the adventures we are you and i
wonder if this is love i feel, wonder if perhaps,
it’s been lust all along