how many times 
had she revealed
her secret heart
of hearts?
she didn’t know exactly
but suspected
that sightings 
were rarer than those
of the phoenix in flight
she talked around it agilely
hoping to confound
lovers into thinking
they had seen
everything
there was to see
had plumped its depths
it was only
in the deepest silence
when the moon was full
and the angle just right
when gentle eyes
could capture hers
like a butterfly
that a small window
might open
and reveal all
there was to see
a clockwork
delicate
intricate
full of stars
full of shadow
mesmerizing
and breathtakingly 
elusive . . .

© 2017 Christine Elizabeth Ray – All Rights Reserved
© 2019 Christine Elizabeth Ray – All Rights Reserved