swish in my mouth
listerine
spit it out in a steady stream
as she watches from the bed
dark eyes
dark eyes
dark mouth waiting
for my lips.

can you love me
she says
can you love me
in your empty dreams
can you love the way i walk
can you love the laughter in my eyes
can you love my naked self
sitting on your bed tonight?
her eyes flow across my face
the same steady stream
searching
searching
can you care
can you care at all?

love is trust i say
built not of brick but
of foundations of hay
people are changeable
made by nature to sway
like grass, like reeds
not like the stars that stay
and so i cannot love
nor can i calm your beating heart
burn the flowers i gave to you
and make a new start
for i am not your desire.

but you are my desire
she says
come with me and spend all night drunk
in the heavy smothering hands of romance
the ones that make us puppets dance
love another, not you
come, my love
and let us make one together from two.

i've tried that drink before i say
an addiction, a sensation, i once believed it true
she was drunk of me so in five years
we made one together from two
but all that i rue
romance is forged from dust,
and dust i am
and dust will i be
and so love is wind through the trees
transcendental ideals, visions of the east
all that is broken
by nature's whorish feast.

and so she says nothing
but her eyes are the night that i remember
her lips promise they'll kiss me unto darkness
and the dreams even will flee
her hair she rolls back up
and she pulls on her panties
but i turn out the light.

frightened words in the dark
but the kisses make it all right
now the darkness takes our minds
i'll love you for a time dear, i promise
these were our words
as our minds broke
i love you
you love me
lying
lying
goodnight.

brown eyes
i dream of my first love
couldn't it be better?
no promises last in this place
brown eyes
i dream of you
still.

i awake
lies
lies
goodnight.

dark eyes

 - "Dark Eyes," Connelly Barnes, 2007-08-11