Inside a Secret
By John Herlihy

She and I,
See with one eye.
We met by accident,
But the meeting seemed provident.
We live in the middle of a secret.
Its mystery we hold, we keep it.
A secret that will never reveal itself,
A secret guarded by a protective elf.
When together, we are completely inside.
Without a care, and with nothing to hide.
She smiles at me, I smile in return.
Nothing between us, only embers burn.

She loves extremes, I show her the middle;
I play on her violin, she plays on my fiddle.
When she whispers sweet nothings into my ear,
The secret of the Sphinx is not held more dear.
The secret we have discovered is totally ours,
Together we memorialize a few passing hours.
I know not when you open and when you close;
I only know you when in full bloom, fully exposed.
When we take our leave, our gift is again wrapped,
Tied with ribbon and bow, waiting till we come back.
Wrapped in ribbons forever even if we never return,
The secret always kept, just as our hearts forever yearn.