Her skin is blemished, marked and scarred, and she wants to curl into herself,
She can barely gaze upon herself long enough, only seeing what is not there,
the absence of perfection and desirability - only brokenness.
Yet, he stands behind her and says: "You are beautiful to me"
She sees in her eyes all the hidden and broken pieces of her soul,
shards that had splintered off, at times crumbling into nothing more than dust.
She needs to protect and fiercely defend that what still defines her,
her inner sanctuary created against the blow of painful words and actions.
But he reaches for her, breathes in her scent and says: "Allow yourself to trust me"
She wants to hide, to cover all her faults, desperately wishing for perfection,
She can feel his gaze upon her, his hands pulling her into his embrace,
With his heat against her back, she can barely breathe, her body stiff and unyielding
But deep within, she can feel a fluttering response, small beats of desire moving.
He turns her around, looking into her eyes and says: "Do not hide yourself from me"
The heat of his hand traces over her back, leaving in its wake a yearning for more,
He touches her, his hands roaming over her body, claiming it for his own,
Slowly undressing her, whispered words and gentle hands, his eyes never leaving hers,
She leans deeper into him, the wings of being a woman unfurling in her soul,
Then she reaches for him, submitting to him in trust, and says: I need you to make me fly once again.
