have you ever loved a man
whose smile was a kiss of summer
tumbling into your bed
for the first time every year?

i have
and now i am haunted by honeyed eyes
the sunlight fall of hair through my fingers
the heavy strength of a body
vital and glowing under my touch
his voice is a battle cry
and every time i hear him speak
an ache of satisfaction
in my throat and between my legs
and when i sleep
the impression of his hands
lingers on every part of me

in my dream i saw
a figure standing in the mist
the bones of a lion
a grinning skull
molten gold dripping from between his teeth
the metal shone brighter than the sun
burning the fog away
and i fell to my knees
and drank
and drank
and drank

this, too, was my love
a monster in the guise of a man
he bent to me and kissed my lips

the flow of gold
turned to bloody copper on my tongue