my calla lily

my calla lily
meek and unassuming yet you
kindle intricate fires in men

from the noblest of flickers to
lustful flames hell hath not seen

my calla lily
tell me, are you reaching out
to heaven to importune grace?

or are you seeking the feel of
my hands desirous at once?

my calla lily
not the purest of God's whites
but the sincerest to mine eyes

your pale pale skin is a prayer
even death pauses to listen

my calla lily
you smolder in my bitter snow
and love shows its face to me


but


my calla lily
alas, no devotion, no affection
can enamor the heart of time

it favors none, not a flower, not
a man. Oh my lover my friend!


and so this i avow, if you choose
to wilt and wither before i
come to pass, i shall
exhale butterflies
forevermore


my calla lily


my calla lily

.