Miss Deception

‘What is the essence of Darkness?’

A sinister woman asked me once

One cloudy, starless night,

But I could not answer her,

For my eyes are filled with light.

‘So what is Light?’

She then inquired with her eyes of jade,

A look of evil on her lips, and hair of spade.

Then she smiled and laughed for a while,

But I could not answer, for fear of beguile.

The woman then kissed me. I pushed her aside.

‘Why must you your feelings hide?’ she wondered,

Then espied my face with her emerald eyes,

But I could not answer her,

For my, or any, words of love or hate

     are simply lies.

Then she made this simple claim:

‘To you I will provide wealth or fame

For a single utterance of your name.’

Yet I spoke not, to her disdain.

I cannot be victimized in her spiteful game.

She broke a grin, to my chagrin,

Then motioned to the sudden stars.

‘They are yours, if you'd like.’

But I shook my head sternly, said:

“I daren't take them. They belong to night.”

She sighed, passed a hand through her hair,

Took my hand to her heart—held it there:

‘Why do you resist? I offer you All.’

I gazed deep her eyes, pondered the clouding sky,

Said: “I do not wish to repeat the Fall.”

But before she could ask me anything more,

I took her in my arms, to her ear I swore:

“I see the love in Darkness, your hate of Light,

So to you, Miss Deception, I bid Good Night.”

She smiled, then frowned. I kissed her hand,

     and was gone.

AUG.‑OCT. '84