Effigy

In every look and passing touch

And of course

In every word of promised love

A signal

"Can you see me?"

"Can you understand?"

That the burning heart of me

is you?

That every lovely thing is yours?

A life of mountains and of

literature and pain,

authored and penned for an audience of one

Begotten, not made

In the mandate of heave

So I plea

For once

To see yourself in the pages of mine

Look away from the mirror for a breath

And breathe

the paint and turpentine

The censer and the wine

Holy storm,

Hear the prayers on my kiss