From Joana
written by: Jill Sharon Kimmelman
I see you when I close my eyes
the way that you appeared in our bedroom
the last time we made love
You stood before me
fully naked like some warrior
devoid of brilliant body paint
fierce in your wanting me
some tiny part of your spirit
gentled by my touches
Somehow you appeared relaxed
yet with nerves so raw
they danced feverishly upon your skin
Parallel emotions were revealed in your eyes
there exists the whole of a poem in those eyes
a poem… I know I will never write
My mirror has changed
not entirely the result of a terrible haircut
I could say that three times
click my heels…still it remains a ghastly hair cut
“a chemo cut”
Purple shadows have appeared beneath my eyes
bruises and angry eruptions splatter across
my belly…my limbs…and on my breasts
announcing the un-deniable
a weakening immune system
my defenses re-defined…
Often my eyes simply fill up with tears
they slip free…barely noticed by me
rarely acknowledged
You have been
my friend…my lover…and best of all my muse
you have drizzled the warm oil of a muse’s magic
into my waiting palms
releasing the manna of my words
fitting themselves round each other
to form sonnets and stanzas of un-equaled beauty
Once more…before you go
press your lips to mine
you will find them warm and softly supple
a joyous and welcome surprise
In these last few moments
we have been given a magical gift
to see one another…as once we appeared
in the splendor and magnificence of our youth
No need for messy farewells
we rejoice in the knowledge that
this is not an ending
simply…another beginning
a passage of time…and we will be together again…
- In Sweet Repose - September 1, 2023
- Raging at Nature’s Fangs - April 13, 2023
- Get Out Mister! You - November 17, 2022
