contagion of hope

her soft blonde hair brushed back
over one pierced ear
the tones of her eye was one of hesitation
i asked her of what such a beauty could fear
after all she would have a thousand strong souls
to nail their backs to a wall at a
word from her feather light lips
but she insisted that the soft touch of her cheek was enough
to be a contagion of hope
to even the most desperate of soulless men

i must have been mad
because i did stop to caress that sweet face with my weary eyes
i sought out her lock and key heart
and found that she desired to be desired but never touched
and there came a burning in the dark forest of my mind
i would wander a time without count before i would see the burning for sadness
meanwhile she apologised profusely but could not contain her dream to flee
and away she rode on a black mare
'her riding clothes brown leathers from Portugal
and they were as soft to the eye as she

she spoke quick to the man at the gate
and he shut out the night
and sealed her eyes with tears
so i kept the watch though i am no professional solider
her companions did sneer at my reckless behaviour
but she in passing let one hand trail over my face
that left welts on my soul
what price is a good price for such heartache
"such is love" she said to me
and i began to see that i could never save her from herself
she will forever ride from one ancient kingdom
of bone dry dust to the next
forever unfulfilled but forever loved
by her army of nights in shining armour
desperate to save her from her own distress  

her ice cold lips are painted this night
a light shade of pink
and what a thousand strong souls wouldn't do to feel
their tender touch
but iv been in that prison
and in the morning i shall ride free
of this blinding hope
i can bear no more flags of the hearts defeat
the last i saw her
she lay swooning at the gate
one breast bared
and her handsome knights milling about
in a panic
forever unfulfilled but forever loved