Her embrace was a clinch to prevent hard blows. She pulled me close to push me away. Seeing my nakedness she leant me a dream of chainmail and shield. Taking love from me she gave a reprieve to a mind resigned to the slow death of feeling.
Ignoring my words she heard my faint silent heartbeat and understood that it was music too quiet for the world to hear and turned it up louder than I could stand. I wept in my deafness as she danced.