In the Venusberg (John Collier, 1901)

In the bedroom, you were as Venus. You

locked the door and walked back, raising

your arms and savoring my taut attention.

You ran your hand across my stomach and

any lingering remembrance of the world—that

there was, indeed, a world—disappeared into the

bright gleam of your blue-green eye.

But, alas, Atlas: you cannot quit tenting the sky.

The weight will find its way back.

You cannot expect the tinny click of

the brass button-lock to hold all of it out

                                                              forever.

--RFRY, 09 Jun. 06

This is the most current version of In the Venusberg.