Moonlight and Madness

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You came to me on moonlight nights,
a treasure box of love and tenderness
to fill my emptiness with joy.
A communion of two souls,
one gave without thought, the other received devoutly.

Will you tire of my neediness?
You tell me I am your goddess;
kissing thin hair, scarred weak legs.
Opening the gate I've built,
my wall to keep all away.

With your love, I am becoming strong.
Now I wonder where you are
on my nights of loneliness.
I haven't asked, it's coming, waiting
for the quiet wind, a vulnerable moment.

You never say you love me.
Words I am desperate to hear.
Will you desire what I've become?
A woman whose needs are necessary, deep
a thirsty tree seeks vital sustenance.

I am not quite sure what to do
with this intense craving I feel.
I am afraid of it, growing wildly.
Like a cancer, devours good tissue,
spreads, feasts until all that threatens me is gone.

By Kathie Stehr
Feb. 1, 2022
25 lines