i. you have never been one for loyalty
or pure, unbridled faith
but you see her one spring day
and something about the steely strength in her eyes
her gentle, commanding words
opens a gaping fissure in your chest,
an arcane ache that only lessens in her presence.
she walks away from you that first time
and a voiceless chant begins to echo in your ears follow, follow, follow.
ii. you follow.
you find yourself, more and more,
trying to ease the weight of her burdens.
she starts to expect your presence, rely on your counsel—
she commands, you comply
she questions, you reply.
over time you learn to breathe in time with her heartbeat,
know her joys and sorrows as deeply as your own.
you let her reach for your hand when the pain is too great
and treasure every fleeting smile she sends your way.
iii. she is a wonder to you
whether she is faltering or fearless,
whether she is lost or lordly—
oh, you love her all the same.
you do not ask for more than you deserve, no, you dare not presume
for she is a queen
and you are no king
but sometimes, when she thinks you cannot see
her gaze upon you is tender, so very sweet
that you cannot help your quiet hope.
iv. you stand by her in times of great beauty
and times of great grief,
you are there for her triumphs
and her weary defeats.
you cannot tell if you love her more
when she is a sunlit blaze on the battlefield,
exuding an unattainable, otherworldly grace
or when she heaves a sigh after a long day,
runs calloused fingers through her hair, weariness lining her face
so dear to you in her normality.
(but then
your love never truly fluctuates.)
v. she holds your hand
as the stars fall
and again
as the world burns.
you grasp her like a lifeline every time
and ignore your hungering heart.enough, you think,
as you feel her fingers soft against your skin,this is more than enough.