PALESTRINA

"if  I can't have everything  then  just  give me a  taste"

Tall as the trees

and twice as graceful.

You danced like a feather

trying not to catch fire.

Entranced by you.

Eyes, lips, arms and hips

write a silent plea in the air.

Telling tales of a secret pact.

Everyone captivated by

a dazzling display of symmetry.

A narcotic has less traction on the soul.

A narcissist to the very last drop.

Only one saw the soft underbelly.

Past the desperate longing

and through to the pain.

When we met I was a child.

You were the learner.

Another was the master.

The mentor to your mission

gave encouragement and accolades.

But not the love you needed.

Spurned, yet sanctified.

Your pursuit doubled in effort.

Already a slave to unrequited passions.

They threatened to engulf you.

Caught up in the moment

a declaration is made.

A vow hangs in the air unanswered

and now you can’t take it back.

A promise made is a promise dead

when a promise wasn’t required

in the first place.