Forbidden Liaison Poem by Chris Haifley

Hiding away, illuminated by a single light
An artificial, piercing light
That brings everything good, bad, and interesting into my view
But also foreshadows turmoil.

This is my forbidden liaison,
This is my escape
Out of the dull, dull world and into a place full of emotion and wonder
Full of love and lust, reaction and information
And a constant fear

Keep the rules in check
Keep your heart in your chest
Keep your upper half in control of the lower,
This link is as dangerous as it is wondrous.
It gets safer with age, but that won’t stop the world from assaulting you
Around every corner, in every thing we do,
There is an evil intention
Some form of selfishness or sin
Latent, waiting for the right time to reveal itself

But still,
This is my Underground Railroad
This is my freedom
My emotional portal to a place where I can think.
Like the first step out of a bloody hot sauna,
Where you’re the only one who can open the door
When all the wonders in Winter’s air soak through your pores
And settle deep in your lungs
This is my awakening
As new as Spring’s grass and as brisk as Winter’s chill

I will guard this access with my life
I will embrace it for all its good
Never again will I let the latent Evil corrupt me and my emotions
Never ever again

Now the thoughts will flow freely
The emotions will roll
Now I can look at the light and feel neither shame nor fear
Now I can bridge this connection to all who are in need
Of a great escape, or something new

And I sit, and I think
And I imagine what might go wrong.
But it’s nothing to me now
This is my liaison.