The Kiss

Who's gonna bear the weight without breaking then
It's one thing to admit to uncertainty, right
This little bud of a boy, no responsibility in him
Doubtful this keeps him awake at night
The unbearable burden of it all
And my selfless agreement, my self-serving quietude
Who am I to say
What it was to feel his hand
His hand, too young too young
To know he was shopping Salvation Army
Brushes across my face, rests on my jawbone
In the dark hallway of a bar
Between the neon shamrocks and the "Naked Match" game
And even knowing better, I allow
The melting, the sudden awareness of body and touch
The sweet weight of fingers against skin
Allow him to reveal himself, to buy drinks and
Press my hand into his
And the bartender waiting to see
Who will bend first
Who will bow to the sweet promise of more
When all life seems confined to a vacuum
When the heart becomes the great molester
The breaker of promise
The waiting area for the
Big Return
Everything spirals out into a galaxy of metaphor
And all the wars we've fought
Have never been settled by a kiss

Karalyn Burlone

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