It showed up clear as the dust settled round
that which he had known, which he had crowed
fell short of love, though long and wide of pride.
“I cannot,” he slowly saw, “love a woman much at all.”

“I’ve only,” he said lowly, “a cuddly sort of lust.”
“I’m but a,” he spoke slowly, “soft puddly shovey mush.”

The love you bring is shackled, lacks the space
to dance, to sing, to kick up heels and twirl
around while laughing jitterbugged face to face.
See? When they slash out your belly, banners unfurl —
blue velvet whips and turns in the badgering winds.

“The shore,” hmmm, “where I’ve beached myself,” ahhh
“in dinghy,” mmmm, “or as a whale, a bloated hulk,” uhhh

This place I’ve forced myself upon
Missed grace goes curdling all day long
I’m in the in the dark grass the cold wood
I’m in the in the wrong you see the wrong
what you knew before of me was just a should
this is a truth

He wants this girl this perfect slip
of lips breasts hips and wide smile shine eyes
he wants her thighs to open only if
he approaches in the desert air where
shadows dip and rise with firelight
in curving redbrowntan canyon walls
he wants this young woman
for no good reason
except he saw her himself
and doled out his portion
bigger than the rest
ignoring everyone but
him and his fairy tale
his beautiful buxom sweet innocent fairy girl
giggly sunrise

let him twitch his tail
alone

he can’t love
he can’t share
he can’t care
he can’t be there
heart on heart with her
or anyone
let him ride
let him go
live your dream
skip his scheme
now that you know
now that he’s showed
his hands

and yet
lock him in a room
with a nice
though not quite so young not quite so firm not quite so gushing not quite so afiring
young lady
lock him in
with her ’til he can’t believe in escape
in a better babe
a bigger strobe
a finer stroll
a fairer moan
a grander doll
a sweeter throne
a narrower purr
purr purr purpose
lock him and her in there
and throw away the daydream keys
and maybe
they could
they would
they should
and would

In conclusion:
he’s nothing at all
QED

so
like
nevermind

Author: BW/AW
Copyright: AMW