Behind the Fantasy

She lays before us all,
a fantasy on the page,
sensual and provocative,
deep and alluring
as wishful dreamers
propose applications
to be her truest lover
and she playfully
twists them around her finger
with literary perfection.

She is the deepest sigh that floats
through the back of my mind
waking me from slumber
nightly
with the simplest twist
of daydream lips
as I mouth my midnight fantasy
to the shadows against
the face of the clock.

And yet, behind the drying ink,
within the soft hands guiding
the feather across parchment,
beyond the captivation
and seductive prose
she lies, my true desire
with the heart that loves so deep;
broken and scarred,
too much like my own,
her mind,
where darkness hides
full of sharp edges of wit
but also longing
for occasional
moments of solitude
while I long for her
occasional company.

And still, she is even more:
all these things
and a closet full of feelings
to which she somehow held the key,
unlocked the door
and left me spilling,
reeling,
finally healing,
she is softly stealing
my heart
but whether she'll keep it
is yet to be seen.