plain jane

by Raine Wynd

she loves you in a thousand heartbeats of memory
you close your eyes and she is there, waiting for you
the way she always was when you ran late
sitting in front of her computer, her short legs folded under her
and trying to pretend that she'd successfully forgotten the time

she loves you: and you thought it was for now
perhaps to be for always but not so soon

she loves you in a million precious seconds of time
you reach out your hand and touch the frozen snapshot
of the way she used to always smile when you aimed a camera her way
like she really didn't mind if it was you, since you'd seen everything
and the pain hurts worse for seeing how her long hair was so askew

she loves you: and you thought it was for now
perhaps to be for always but not so soon

she loves you once in a lover's fairytale no child ever heard
the one where you're the gallant hero of modern day
saving the plain jane from the fate of an ordinary existence
and how you did your best to shower her in diamonds and furs
never once dreaming just how deep in debt you'd be

she loves you: and you thought it was for now
perhaps to be for always but not so soon

she loves you forever you heard her say once
in a moment frozen by the amount of sheer surprise you'd felt
disbelieving such words could ever be true when spoken then
in the quiet surrender of her unfathoming passion for you
you could hardly disguise the stiffening of your body she mistook for rejection

she loves you: and you thought it was for now
perhaps to be for always but not so soon