Curtain Call

Feathers, lace and flesh
Glossy black, silver and pale gold
A wide mirror and a handheld camera
A burst of light and a burning candle
The breeze ruffles dreamy curtains
Of a galactic window, painting stars
On your centerfold

I wanted to watch you fall in love
With a world created for you alone
I wanted to take the credit
For igniting your imagination
I built a sandcastle with words
Where each grain was significant
And you still revolt

I cannot bury you now
I ache and scream and dissipate
Into color and texture and taste
I am simply a ghost
Of the tongue and specter
Of a sound once heard
Unrepeated;

–LM