Love Poem: The Melting of Ice (Part 1)
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Written by: Mark Matthews

The Melting of Ice (Part 1)

Tapestries of clouds
swirl before night’s curtain 
  like a paintbrush
    eased across the canvas,
streaking the moon
as a winged silhouette soars past,
          the wolf in me stirs.

Sight changing over
      I spot it
swooping back from the south.
There is a white sheen
being reflected off its skin by the moon
and a pearlesque 
   from the feathers in the wings.
Closer it comes  
     And I notice its female
my heart beats,
      I thought that
          would never happen again,
but there it is,
      fluttering under my breastplate.
I can feel my limbs warm
   as old blood
begins to slide through vessels
    thought 
to have rotted away long ago
   and as she prepares to land
my muscles tense,
      body preparing to flee,
 mind pausing out of curiosity.

With one last swipe of her wings
she pulls her body perpendicular to the ground
toes caressing the earth
like a lovers touch,
skin almost glowing in the light,
      fangs glistening
  as a blood drop falls
from a fresh feeding.

I feel the fur raise on my hunched back
   as I pull myself erect,
       stretching my shoulders
forward and back,
     realigning my spine,
my features stay lupine
but my physiology more human
    than it been in years,
and I notice
this one approaches
               undauntingly,
bluish gray eyes
     tearing into my soul.

This causes a pause
    mind glaring for understanding,
as my paws slide forward
    but once within a few feet
       my forgotten soul explodes forth
from its little crypt 
   I created for it
      When I became the forsaken
  (of my own choice).

I taste 
   The beautiful irony taste of blood
In my mouth
   And realize
I’m biting my own lip.