The 99 Poem Challenge (Fox-Trot-9) ✓

83. Quaternion -- One Woman, Four Faces

The 99 Poem Challenge
Fox-Trot-9

83. Quaternion — One Woman, Four Faces

1

Her messy locks of hair would tumble past
Her shoulders like a waterfall of motion,
Bouncing in swirls upon the ends like rapids,
Enticing me to run my fingers through them;
My lady is a coy one, coiling strands
Of hair around her fingers to entice
Me with her playfulness as if she were
A younger girl of charming innocence;
The sidelong glance of tempting eyes, a hint
Of rosy blush upon her supple cheeks,
Her sidelong smile of radiance spreading on
Her supple lips, beguiling me to kiss them;
She makes me want to grasp her by her shoulders
And spread away her lacy blouse to bear
Her shoulders naked to my selfish eyes,
Taking those supple lips within my own;
But when I draw her closer to enact the kiss,
She puts her finger to my lips, denying
The early consummation of her charms
With playful glances and embarrassed words:
      "I know this is the first time we have met,
      But I will let you kiss me—just not yet!"

2

And yet, impassioned with the ardor of
My youth, impatient to await my turn,
I press my plea and argue my advances
To have those supple lips connect with mine;
But now her continence becomes uneasy
And more indifferent than before, as if
The burning of my passions had her singed
And cautious to beguile me with her charms;
Her eyes become more steely, scrutinizing
Me with the caution of a thoughtful gaze,
Her rosy cheeks begin to fade, her lips
Now closing and becoming pursed and firm;
Now noticing the error of my ways,
I lean myself away to take more stock
Over my foolish actions on our date,
Chiding myself with reprimanding words;
But when she saw the sorrow of my state,
Perhaps to share some sympathy upon
My amateur attempts to woo her heart,
She holds my hands within her own and says,
      "You say you're twenty-one, but now I know
      You're not that age. So how old are you now?"

3

I look away, embarrassed in my shame,
Unable to explain that I'm too young
To even have a driver's permit, much
Less date a college woman with my charms;
Now in defeat, I tell her my true age,
Expecting her to raise a fuss when she
Now knows the truth of this weird circumstance,
Looking away from her potential glares;
But when her silence makes me look, she tosses
Her flowing locks aside, letting them tumble
Over her shoulder as she leans in close,
Resting her head on the palm of one hand;
She looks at me with eyes that bore into
My own, a trace of color creeps back in
Her cheeks, a subtle hint of smile now tugs
Upon the corners of her supple lips;
And as she leans in close, I cannot help
But notice in the shadow of her nape
The subtle hint of cleavage 'neath her blouse,
And blushing shame, I look away once more!
      She laughs and says, "You have a dirty mind
      For someone still so young, but I'll be kind."

4

Again I blush, and now she laughs again
Over my own embarrassment, as though
Delighting in my childish innocence
That still predominates inside my soul;
She tosses back her hair upon her shoulders
And coils some strands within her fingers to
Tease me again just like before, just like
A sister would to tease a younger brother;
Her eyes regain their playful glances, color
Returns upon her supple cheeks in hues
Of subtle blush, relighting all my passions
With something else that tempers out the fire;
The kindling warmth of friendship dances in
Her eyes and glows upon her cheeks and plays
Upon her lips in teasing words of humor,
Pulling upon my heartstrings as a friend;
I can relax, but now I'm left deflated,
Still wanting so much more beyond my years
Yet having not the wisdom to attain
Her trust in me to love her, which I yearn for.
      Smiling she says, "Love's more than you require.
      Let's take it slow; love's friendship set on fire."

(To be continued...)

A/N: Quaternion is a poetry style in which the theme is divided into four parts. Each part of a quaternion explores the complementary natures of the theme or subject. The word quaternion is derived from the Latin word quaterni, meaning "four by four." The poem may be in any poetic form and 'offers poets the chance to experiment with varied rhetorical structures.'

Meter: Iambic pentameter
Rhyme: Varies (Blank vese & concluding couplets) xxxx...aa