For too long,
love seemed like an illusion,
its golden promise
obscured
by reason and confusion
Too often,
its favours were thrust upon me
An invasion
An intrusion

Then there was you
A revelation
Forbidden yet familiar,
you stood before me,
a hand outstretched
Not to give,
not to take,
but to simply -- caress

We kissed --
a passageway
to secrets
still unspoken,
promises unbroken
answers
to questions not yet asked
A glimpse
of the faces
behind our masks

The taste of you
burned in my mouth
like an ancient truth
And then,
as gently as a ghost,
you were inside me
Your essence
rising in my chest,
your heartbeat
pulsing beneath my breast

Desire
burst from you
like a string
of flawless pearls
Between my thighs,
your hands,
guiding me
to undiscovered
lands
treasures --
in the sand
pleasures --
never known to man

And as we lay together,
the first cool breath
of morning
on our skin,
offering
a silent benediction,
we knew
that we were not alone,
that in this harsh
and unforgiving world,
we'd found a place that
we can call our own

Who says only opposites
attract?