Her eyes, brown, like dirt and ridgid with anger and pain

   her hands bruised and torn

She let the fire engulf her in its flames  

No one would think that him, with eyes so gray and dull and callous 

    with hands like sandpaper 

would be so calm, collected and nurturing 

but her personality was never a burden to him

 Once the fire burned out, he knew that it would continue many times 

so until her outer shell burned away into dust

until both were better than before 

he held onto her, and let the fire engulf him too 

"Why?" she asked 

"Because I love you." he said with a gentle smile 

and he meant it everytime