Face To Face Poem by Romesh De Silva

Face to face, a test
Language of love, one breath
Peel open with feeling
Sex with souls, pain shared, stealing
Cursed sand beneath your feet
Scorched hands, your kisses tasteless, deceit
Humour dry, traumatised eyes hearing, a lie
Plain but beautiful, gentle screams I’m seeing
Giggle, laugh, cry, left torn
Tears fall for you angel, past, alone, gone
The devil hides in the shadow, in the mirror
Staring back at you, professional sinner
Shame, the shame, a portrait of evil
Hung up, off-centre, slanted, well-framed
Colour, black on black, outline blood red
Whispers haunting you, guilty, truth said
Left torn, cry, laugh, giggle
Smile at last, back to the face
One breath, tasteless minus less, taste
It’s all in the eyes, wise
It’s all in the eyes
Shadows pass deep in reflections well-masked
Waste of face, bodies dressed with emotional lace.

November 2006