And that night when I kissed you,

Pressed my lips on yours,

Your skin rippled under my fingers

And I could feel the waves

Travelling through your candid frame.

Your eyes were closed,

Your mouth rosy and ajar.

I knew I was pushing you to madness,

To the point of no return.

But this isn’t an apology.

I don’t deign to console your grief.

It was a mistake I had made

Thinking Love would impart some warmth,

Melt the chestful of freezing loneliness

That made breathing so hard.

It was then that I let you go

Unfastened those encircling arms

That trusted and clung,

Feigned indifference to your frenzied tears.

Because, you see, I was afraid,

Afraid that your heart,

So young, so eager to love, so prone to life,

That lay on my cold withered one

Would freeze to death,

Like hers had, so many years ago.