The Goddess

A Poem

Photo by Claudia Ramírez on Unsplash

she said
she was coming in with one thing in mind —
and, oh, why didn’t i believe her?

she said
she was the good girl done wrong —
and i saw the truth of it in her dark eyes

she said —
oh, she said so many things,
but it was a long night and i was tired

she said
she loved me all along
(but i didn’t think it was true)

she said
her hopes were all golden brick roads
and the emerald city was on the horizon

she said
i could have her in a moment
if i gave her all of eternity in exchange

she said
i was a prince in beast’s skin
and i questioned every word thereafter

she said
wealth was a kind of madman’s game —
and i agreed as i drank down a bitter tonic

she said
she had been burned one too many times
and i liked the way the words snagged in my mind