something like desire

though i have experienced the flutter and nerve of the first corsage
i miss the wallflower stare of dance card days
i recall a late night walk along dark water and reflected moon
silent swans nesting in the grass
she had invited me so as not to be alone
nothing more
nothing less
to her friends i was an oddity from another continent
the first orange to be seen on the mainland
a strange tree climbing beast
or native warrior with foreign tongue
she too felt out of place among them
this was her way of taking comfort in the isolation
we both knew this engagement would carry no further than this one night
still the tenderness was genuine
our open exchange with one another both sweet and awkward
the touch of our fingertips as we held hands
though born of obligation
was no less exciting
and carried with it a rising warmth and electricity
the first and final kiss of the night
the scarlet seal with wax and ring
took our breath for just a moment
resembling briefly
something like desire

NH