A Final Offering

that haughty, crooked smile wounded me
on a battlefield best suited for conquered men
I spelled her name with the clotting blood
that ran down these broken, shaking hands
still dreaming of the time they held her heart

her hair blew wildly in the wind
those auburn curls danced redowa waltzes
of twilight fire and shimmering strands
and her eyes...
her eyes were the color of forgotten moons
with soft blue hues of speckled mist
and though I tried to look away, I held her gaze
and watched my drowning lids betray all hope

with stammering words I sang of those forgotten moments
the lavish treasures found in moonlit nights;
wet, glistening kisses with all the fire of writhing suns

I begged for lies!
I begged for anything but this!

when my pleas fell to the wind
I buckled forth with weary sighs,
unsheathed my sword;
who's steel bloom was born of despair
a metallurgy of my darkest hour
and watched these hands
these broken, shaking hands
carve out my empty heart in shame

I held it forth
a final offering to her
take what you will and burn the rest
and scatter the ashes behind you
where the past slips into oblivion