Fragile

I love your voice. 
It curls around me
like smoky incense,
Arouses me
even as you speak of
oil changes and new tires 

I love your laughter. 
It froths like uncorked champagne, 
Contagious, flirtatious
fusing the space between us.  

How will I live without you?  

You spoke the language
of poets and songwriters
Smooth, sweet, rich
I savored fine chocolate;  

but I was mortally wounded
by your darkness
spinning out of control
on the tail of a comet
self-doubting and gloomy
abysmally lonely
terminally angry
rejecting that voice
deflecting that laughter
until the system pinging ceased.  

I have been so busy hating you for so long
I forgot how much I love you.

 (c)2008 Lucie Raposo - All rights reserved (republished 2022)