Soul To Soul

Although no one could see her 

straight to the eye, 

Medusa met someone once upon a time, 

that fell in love, not with her beauty,

but the sound of her heart. 

 

Her name was Ione,

she was visually impaired,

so her eyes could not see 

exactly what before her lay.

 

Yet her blindness didn’t stop her 

from enjoying her life, 

the buttery summer mornings and 

the late night walks. 

 

However, Ione only had one wish,

one huge desire, 

and that was to feel the heartbeat 

of someone she admired.

 

That was to feel the softness 

of a loved one’s embrace, 

that would see her 

soul to soul, rather than face to face.

 

And even if that 

didn’t keep Ione from enjoying her life,

she definitely kept that wish

tucked in the back of her mind. 

 

Only coming to her thoughts

when she heard the couples laughing,

and she heard them loudly kissing 

near the big white stone fountain. 

 

But one day in her afternoon strolls,

by a stream she passed by, 

a little farther than ever before,

but that to her was alright.

 

Just when the gurgling stream 

was about to end at last,

she heard a silence so loud 

she thought her bones would start to snap.

 

Yet, when her body stood alert 

her heart had nothing to fear, 

Ione had never feared the unknown, 

yet dared to step right into it.

 

The silence grew and swelled and hissed 

yet Ione stood still, 

listening carefully to the thing 

that was close, within reach.

 

She was surprised to hear loud hissing 

and feel the presence of a body,

she was surprised to find it cold, 

to find it strong and find it curvy.

 

“Who are you?” Ione whispered,

and the creature only laughed, 

their breath tickled Ione’s neck 

and a female voice only whispered back,

 

“If you open your eyes,

 you might just find out, 

who is it that tonight 

in front of you stands.”

 

And for just a laugh or two, 

Ione did open her eyes, 

calculated her general direction,

 and laid her eyes of palest greens 

upon the female within reach.

 

The female loudly gasped, 

and touched Ione’s face, her arms,

she seemed to be in disbelief, 

she seemed very surprised.

 

“Who are you?” Said the female,

but Ione felt her anger rise, 

she had asked the female first,  

who did she think she was?

 

“If being blind is a gift of the gods, 

or if it gives me special powers,

I've yet to discover those, 

but I'm just a common girl from a town near clear waters.”

 

She could still feel the surprise 

rolling off the female,

she then asked, “What’s your name? What are you even doing here?”

 

“I- I go by Desa, 

I was hunting for my meal,

but then I felt you in the woods 

and couldn’t resist my curiosity.

 

Would you mind if tomorrow 

we met again? 

I’d like to know the only one 

immune to beholding my face.”

 

Ione didn’t have 

any reason to say “no”,

so she agreed with Desa 

to meet on tomorrow's morn. 

 

However, it wasn’t only that day 

or the next or the one after, 

but every day that Desa and Ione 

met to sit and chatter.

 

They sat by the pond,

eating spring berries and the like,

while Desa revelled in the fact 

that Ione didn't have to close her eyes.

 

As time passed and seasons transferred,

the two’s feelings rose and changed, 

and what they perhaps desired 

went farther than the flesh.

 

And one fateful afternoon, 

Desa told Ione straight:

“I’m not what you think I am, 

Desa’s not even my name.”

 

Ione only contemplated

what Desa had to say, 

who she was or her name, 

wouldn’t make her feelings change.

 

“Tell me, Desa,

 don’t be scared, 

embrace me tight,

 don’t hold your breath.”

 

“Darling Ione, I’m a monster, 

men can’t face me or they’ll die, 

they turn to stone when 

they look at my eyes... my name is really Medusa,

 

My hair is full of snakes, 

my skin is never warm, 

how can you ever love me 

when I am such a fright?”

 

And although Ione could hear 

her darling  Desa’s hard breathing, 

she leaned in a tad closer 

and whispered her undoing,

 

“I wish I could convey 

in spoken words what I feel 

every time you make me smile, 

every heartbeat you’re with me,

 

If only you knew I love your laugh, 

I love your soul 

and the way you’re you,

I love you morning, day and night and

every second you hold me too,

 

In my eyes there is no other,

because my eyes have never seen,

but in my heart there’s only you,

because you truly made me feel,

 

And though I can’t see you face to face. 

and I can’t see the color in your eyes,

I see you soul to soul, 

and that’s enough to last me a life.”

 

Although Ione couldn’t see

how Medusa’s eyes were filled with tears,

she took her face and leaned right in 

and kissed her mouth, and cheeks and tears. 

 

Medusa for the first time 

felt warmth inside her heart.

She felt there was gleaming hope.

She felt this love could really last.

 

And so blind Ione and her frightful Medusa 

lived for longer than expected.

Their love kept them thriving,

it kept them rejuvenated.

 

But they couldn’t ignore 

Ione’s humanity.

And Medusa had to grieve

her darling love’s passing.

 

Yet now year three thousand and nineteen,

Medusa still can't forget 

the woman who made her understand

love soul to soul and not face to face. 

 

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