he leans in, closer to
the face in the water and
eros strikes his heart.

he sees the marvel and the joy and
it’s so beautiful he
can’t look away.

as he moves, the
stranger moves as well and
even though the gods are
cruel and fickle and angry, he
thanks them when it gets dark.

the leaves are falling now and
the stranger in the water looks
weary and starving but he
can’t bring himself to
look away.

it’s winter first and then the
spring notices the boy is gone,
a story of days gone by with
nothing but a flower
in his place.