CLAWS

She has innocent looks,
Tender cheeks, soft lips, graceful limbs,
And a pleasant countenance.
Her appearance
Is like the surface of a moon-lit lake,
And her voice
Like the whisper of ocean breeze seasoned in a shell.

When in deep thought
She puckers her lips, crosses her hands
And her slender fingers gently tap
To the rhythm of the flowing mind.

And then, you can see her long, manicured nails
-wherein underlies the intensity of the animal.
When in courtship,
She entwines into her partner in a clammy posture
And her nails are dug into his back like the claws of a predator.
The innocent looks are now fiery,
The tender cheeks turn crimson,
Her soft lips – sensuous,
Her graceful limbs – numb in ecstasy.
A blazing inferno belies her pleasant countenance.

That evening,
While riding back home,
Her partner winces in emotion
When the rain-drops damp his sore, bruised back.