Letting go

I hold you in my hands

Like a dove longing to fly

But your wings held close to your side

I realise I can't hold on - love should let go

But how scared I am that you'll fly away

Gently, slowly, I open my hands
Releasing your wings
But you don't go

You nestle into my hands secure, knowing

that if you had to - you'd fly

In letting you go I'm pulling you closer
The freedom making it more real
Delicate, held together by strands of love
Not by the harsh fetters of insecurity

I see your eyes looking into mine
Trusting, loving
Like the sea on a calm day
Like the sky in spring
A twinkle of something to be seen
And yet not touched
A fleeting dream proved only by my memory

Your eyes search my face gently enquiring
The lightest touch of my hand in answer
To feel your arms around me again
Not to hold on but to share
A moment caught between us in the embracing of our hearts

In my quietest moments you are there
Real only to my mind - my senses numb
But when we are together
Then , my senses, wake!
Trap every moment , every smile, every silent word

1989