I will hold your heart at a distance
in my outstretched hand.
I will hold it like a gemstone
bestowed by the miracle of grace.
I will hold it like a grenade
ready to explode if I make a wrong move.
Like a bird,
throbbing jittery with fear and wonder.
Like a flower
ready to blossom or wilt from that touch.
The touch will burn my hand.
The weight will be unbearable.
I will shiver—
an electric current
will run through my outstretched hand
directly into my soul,
flooding it with sorrow,
flooding it with delight.
I will hold your heart in silence,
just as you hold mine…

3/1/2003