Apollo and Daphne
                               

so she turned and he watched
her brow vanish her hair
rippling into leaves now his
fingers could almost touch her in
the haze of wind and mossy light
and her warm white skin cooled
to a smoke of brown and green
as he heard felt saw her breathing
stop as he imagined the first faint
gesture of her yes this was not
supposed to happen to a god this
straining for the sounds of whispers
through a tumbling mist while
the silence disembodied her and
pulled another form out of the air
a silhouette of scarves and wands
chiming rustling so he knew
she could breathe again he saw
her body lean forward in
a slim dainty sheath of bark
and when he put his ear to
the trunk of her chest he could
hear the wild beating of her
hunted animal heart yes he was
finally holding her yes he could feel
her branches sway he could see
the glowing treetop of her head
slowly nodding yes he was only a god
yes she could feel his need she would
stand watch forever over his life this
was the devotion he had dreamed of
her dappled arms enfolding him
green speaking shadows.