Desire by Michael Keshigian

He could not decide if he saw her,

standing between the great white pines

on a bed of mulch just beyond 

the lake’s silent shoreline.

Might it be her in the shadows,

waving him on with one hand

while the other shielded her eyes

from the wind blown needles

the trees released that turned the air

to a softer shade of taupe,

her shawl into a prickly pile of fir?

He remained unsure, as he walked 

through the silent forest, scented with mint,

the thickening brush highlighted

with burnt orange the setting sun emitted.

Was it her, her silhouette enticing, floating, 

her face solemn as its shadow moved into his hand,

though the touch he craved iced his fingers?

Was her mouth finally against his

to commence an encounter not yet consummated,

a kiss that promised the beginning

of a passion they had once imagined?

Or was it the compassionate wind 

with misty lips that moistened his mouth

to ameliorate his loneliness?

Michael Keshigian from Londonderry, NH will, have his twelfth poetry collection, Into The Light, released this Spring by Flutter Press. He has been widely published in numerous national and international journals and has appeared as feature writer in over a dozen publications with 6 Pushcart Prize and 2 Best Of The Net nominations. (michaelkeshigian.com)