the road to nowhere

she had sanguine lips
and a flawless smile
luminous eyes, sparkling
the fresh scent of roses
drizzled off of her
like a noble cape
waving in the wind

it wasn’t like me to lay on railroad tracks
but the train seemed so far away
and she was so near

I often wonder whether or not
the sun had dried my spirits for far too long
because I found myself swimming in a bottle
with my hands trembling like shaking tables
hoping that this séance would bring her near

she was a tidal wave
and thunder
an insane voyage with a thirst for hungry sailors
she’d feed them soft notes of honey
from the space between her hips
and they’d rage for more
as if the pearly gates themselves
would be revealed
between the shimmering strands of hair
that gently graced her crown

when she looked at me
I tasted moonlight and shadows
playfully dancing on my tongue
singing
with the whooping sounds of madness
clawing
with the high-pitched talons of fate
hacking
through each moment
and I was flooded with rapture
because the earth fell from my steps
leaving me raw
open for the cracking whip
counting my blessings
with a fading echo
because the road to nowhere
begins in the small of her back
and ends with the beat of my heart