Greedy, sometimes...
other times, almost mechanical;
we hold back enough
to remember who we are;
we hold back enough
to make a quick exit,
before it's too late.
We feel our hearts, our vitals, being separate, almost cold.
Sometimes a wry smile, a sudden laugh, a sharp word,
might give us away;
give away the fact that love is still abstract;
that, despite our words of love,
we are still uncommitted,
though we seem convincing to ourselves.

Then, bit by bit, we notice the speeding up of love;
the quickening of love's essential achingness.
One day, we are taken unawares
by the sudden up-creeping of love,
and now the wry smile, the laugh, the distant word
is not ours, but theirs.

Love fills our veins, speeds our breathing,
makes foolish silhouettes out of our devotion.
Love is now irresistible-
suddenly, it is Destiny.
There is no turning back, now,
from love's impelling climb.
Upward and upward we ascend to love's peak.
We are invincible!
The clouds draw us upward.
Until, finally, we are there at the summit-
breathless, light-headed.

And, now, what? we ask.
And now what?
The cairn at the top is lonely
and a bullying wind pushes at us.
And we can't help wondering about the descent.