The Black Swan
She was sitting at the bar
her eyes were very far
and distant.
Two eyes behind the glass
they knew not how to surpass
the silence.
She knew I had a sip
from the cup of her soul
when I pushed the hair from my eyes and
coughed.
When I discovered her secret,
I looked down
and She looked down and said,
Get up, get on your feet
let me have this dance.
There’s no music
but who cares?
We’ll never meet again
so pretend
that you love me
and I will love you too.
Take me by the hand, she said,
because I don’t need a man
to tell me that he loves me
when I have you.
Her fingernail polish
was the last of her I saw
because her hand slipped out of my hand
before I could tell her
that I was not pretending.