Why Can't I Leave? (Winner Commended Award Poetry d'Amour 2016)

Because she is beautiful, and I want to stay,

(tell me what mad spell has made you this way?)

Because her skin is dark

              and her lips are fine

Her hips are round

              and her arms divine.

Why can’t I leave? Why must I stay?

(What evil thoughts are making you this way?)

Her eyes are soft

            and her hair is free

Her legs go from here

            to eternity.

The dust just sinks

            at her feet so rare

And she moves like clouds

           in the evening air.

The birds fly past

            with their wings on fire

The night seems lost

            to my shy desire.

Why can’t I leave? Why must I stay?

Because I saw Rimi Rider on the street today.

I saw her move

            like a silent storm

Like a lazy snake

           in the jealous lawn

As the evening stood

           like a beggar’s hand

She swayed like air

           at the earth’s command.

And my evil eyes

          took my thoughts to song

And I wrote the words

         till the words seemed wrong

But her hips just swayed

          in the dusty night

So I wrote the words

         till the words seemed right.

Tell me what has made your heart this way?

(Because I saw Rimi Rider on the street today).