You are far too young for me
So they say

But still, I admire from afar
And perhaps they don't understand
How the age of your mind
Is far beyond
Your years on this planet

They don't understand
How you're the only man
                                                             ­    (Or should I say boy?
                                                            ­      I think of you as a man...
                                                          ­        Maybe that is wrong

                                                          ­        Well, I'm usually wrong
                                                           ­       About these things

                                                         ­         So why change now?)

Anyway

You're the only man
I've been able to trust
Since he stashed me away
On his dusty shelf
With a cracked spine
And frayed ends

On the darkest nights,
When sleep cannot be found
For miles on end
I dream of your lips
Pressed into mine
Wildly
Forbidden
As I dig my cougar claws
Down your shoulder blades

I shake out my fantasy
Try my best to behave
Appropriately
Knowing that I will spend
The next few years
Waiting patiently

While you fall in love
With some fragile girl
That won the birthday lottery
For she gets to hold your hand
Without the judgmental looks
From disgruntled parents

And she doesn't even exist yet,
                                                            ­      (To you anyway)
But she will one day
And I will be ravenous with jealousy
Of her mocha skin
And her savage eyes
And her luminous smile

And then the time will pass
As it always does
Before I know what to make of it,
An inevitable invitation
To your wedding with the tigress
Will plop into my dead hands

And as you stand at the alter
Opposite of an angel
You will shoot me a glance
So abrupt,
I almost won't catch it.

But it will be there
Of course
And my eyes will meet with yours
Sincerely
With regret

And even though my bones
Will ache with desire
To object
I will abide by social standards
And stay seated
And stew for all eternity
Wondering what could have been
If only…

The two most powerful words
I will even know
If only...

Because you are far too young for me
So they say..