her right handed face reclines
and peers at me from the shadowy
recesses of her distressed mind
wrapped now in the silken leisures of
forgetfulness and surrounded
by the christmas thin dream illusion
purchased at great price to define yourself by
mere reflections of a perceived past
like living today through a photograph of childhood
mold your nature to the template but its plastic features
are brittle with the cautions your heart throws and
reproachs seen in all avenues of egress
her leashed thoughts are chained to the premise
that she cannot overcome the troubles that shadow her life
so that she move in concentric circles around my last dealt words
she peers from behind this set of thoughts and
with all that inner noise clouding her vision i must navigate
the perilous waters uncharted
she means much to me so i step with mindful care
lest her defensive pattern flee with her like
a bundled child up a dark road with fearful glances
for the great unknown some rough beast in rabid pursuit
that is in reality's harsh light nothing more than
shadow of childhood trauma
i sit at the emergence of her thoughts and wait for her to follow
spoken is trailed by felt
spoken can be constrained and recanted
but what is felt is a woman's temple and that
should not be breached with a light foot
she appears from underneath her veil of tears
and my hand clasping hers reaches her need
where no words to say would suffice
i am yours and yours alone