Medusa
Herb Kauderer
Late at night she lies awake
dreaming of her beautiful blind lover.
She can see his face
through closed eyes
& imagines the sweet feel
of his embrace.
She pretends the caresses she feels
are not her own hand
& tries to believe
the gentle twitching at her cheek
has nothing to do
with the writhing mass of her hair.
But no matter how hard she tries
she cannot reach
for she knows he will never come.
And once again she cries.
Tomorrow she thinks
with the familiar taste of tears.
Tomorrow someone new will die,
but the consolation
does not stem
her tears.
first appeared in Dreams & Nightmares #31 1990
collected in Variations of Sleeping Alone May 1996
