Carnal Acts Poem by James McLain

Beneath the pale, unyielding moon,
Our bodies met like waves in swoon.
A tide of longing, fierce, unkind,
Consumed the walls of heart and mind.

The bushes whispered, trees stood still,
While passion rose against our will.
Each kiss a flame, each touch a plea,
A tempest vast, an endless sea.

Despair lay tangled in our throes,
As hopelessness in silence grows.
What price for love, this fleeting taste?
A soul undone, a heart laid waste.

Yet still we dared, though oceans cried,
And shadows deepened where we lied.
The giving, receiving, left us bare,
Two spirits bound by love's despair.

The night departs; the fire wanes,
And in its wake, but ash remains.