Pas de deux
‘How bizarre: I almost said ‘My darling’!’
The rhetorical cushion covers the risk
As words tip-toe towards danger.
The first x screamed potency
Before xxx becomes routine.
Grades from ‘all my love’
To ‘I love you’ are scaled and traversed as
Dear becomes dearest -
Will she notice the ‘est’?
It screams from the screen.
What dare I express?
We gently infringe each linguistic taboo,
A tight-rope of texts
And e-mail ecstasy, hinting at cards
Held close to our chests.
But danger increases with each danger passed
The risk of exposure, rejection and pain
Risk of entrapment, commitment, enrapture.
Fear in ecstasy - eyes stare and swell.
October 2007
