Her gaze leaped from face to face
on wind’s feet, when
it stopped.
Her greedy eyes glittered
feasting on forbidden flesh.
Then
all at once
she realized her trespass.
Shocked
she
died
a
bit
inside.
Tuning her burnt eyes away
her heart now played with fire.
The first time
she burned with
shame
anger
depression
doubt
disgust.
The second
she was seared with
mortification
embarrassment
anger
doubt.
The third:
embarrassment
anger
doubt.
The fourth
simply
embarrassment
and doubt.
Her heart grew black
protecting against
harm
but leaving room
for pleasure.
That painful pleasure
still hurt
but no longer
did the yellow, insincere flames
turn her red.
Doubt
that beautiful festering flower
fed on the flames.
“Why can’t I
just
be
normal?”
“Why do these flames
caress
attack me?”
Questions
like raindrops
fell on her, she
without
an
umbrella.
~LS