For too long,

love seemed like an illusion,

its golden promise

obscured

by reason and confusion.

Too often,

its favours were thrust upon me.

An invasion.

An intrusion.


Then there was you.

A revelation.

Forbidden yet familiar,

you stood before me,

a hand outstretched.

Not to give,

not to take,

but to simply -- caress.


We kissed --

a passageway

to secrets

still unspoken,

promises unbroken

answers

to questions not yet asked.

A glimpse

of the faces

behind our masks.


The taste of you

burned in my mouth

like an ancient truth.

And then,

as gently as a ghost,

you were inside me.

Your essence

rising in my chest,

your heartbeat

pulsing beneath my breast.


Desire

burst from you 

like a string 

of flawless pearls.

Between my thighs,

your hands,

guiding me

to undiscovered

lands

treasures --

in the sand

pleasures --

never known to man.


And as we lay together,

the first cool breath

of morning

on our skin,

offering

a silent benediction,

we knew

that we were not alone,

that in this harsh

and unforgiving world,

we'd found a place that

we can call our own.


Who says only opposites

attract?