Venus in the Rear-View

A Prose Poem

Photo by Junior REIS on Unsplash

I’d tell you a thousand things from these lips of mine — but the secrets are sweeter to savor in these spanning moments when you stare at me, questions flicker-bright in your eyes.

I love you — the refrain, the untold story, the footnote at the bottom of the page.

I’d bridge the distance, maybe, just to see what I could do to edge closer — to be in your space, your sphere, your revolution in this expansive universe. A kiss might be too telling, but you can see, can’t you?

I love you — the confession, the mystery unraveling, the letter I wrote but never sent.

I’d make you believe my every promise — the vows in pauper’s clothing — but then I just find myself watching you, looking for every sign under the stars. Holding your hand seems impossible, but maybe I’m wrong? Oh, the way you look at me and then glance away — I shiver in the anticipation of it all.

I love you — the destination, the truth I want revealed, the papers ripped from the diary I kept.

I’d take the initiative, follow your shadow in the morn, and think it such a blessing just to be in the spotlight of your constellations. Lies would be the farthest things from my mind. What would be the point when my face is there for you to read at your leisure? Oh, look at me again…