Her beauty astounded him
Gone for so long from any place
Where he could be himself.
This place could not be real.
Acceptance of self? Impossible
Or so he thought.
However, she proved the lie in his words
And his soul she bought
With a kiss.
Nothing so pure could exist! he cried
Unbelieving in love, itself so true
Not caring of words, or lies, or masks
Only in the heart of you.
This place, this garden could not be
And so he denied it again
Until he saw, at last, the truth
That she could love him too
Not for what he pretended to be,
But for what he was
Which is itself invaluable
Struck dumb and rendered true
By her own purity and spirit
He bared his heart, and laid his soul all out for her.
He expected pain, and hate
What he received, however, was love
Unfettered by what he thought of himself
Influenced only by the heart of him
What the soul can reveal.
And impossible love, now what of it?
It grew beyond all bounds.
He never again feared life
Because he knew there was at least one
Whom he knew and who knew him,
And loved, unconditionally.
That, he found, was the greatest gift
Of all that she had.
For beauty often corrupts, but in this case made pure
The woman who saw his heart.
Who read his soul
Could not but love when she saw his pain
His own self-hate and dislike
Of the image in the mirror
Which she found, oddest of all
To be worthy of the greatest gift
Love. And with it, respect unconditional.
For that is what the heart desires above all else.
- Gryphon -
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