I wanted to be
warmed by her fire
she came so close
then turned her face away.

The distant forest
of her brown beauty
became a lightness of being
I wrote her love poems
showing her the origins
of my inner fire
she turned away
leaving me with only
the ashes of her trees
and trembling leaves.

I promised her not castles
or prophesy of the future
to love now is what I needed
tomorrow may be too late
I said, "love me now"
"now love me."

Her fire is now so distant
and the forest she showed me
I love her in absentee
dreaming her while awake
she said she loved me
I who thought I was her master...