FOR M.H. (with hope)
A room without light, heavy damask drapes over towering windows, refusing entry to the moon.
You.
Me. Summoned by He who controls; by He who is loved above all, just inside the doorway, knowing that it is locked behind me. Blind in the dark, blindness compounded by the black silk tied over my eyes, a condition of the invitation. I wear what You sent: long, heavy burgundy gown of velvet, slit up the side to reveal half my right thigh. Heels. Stockings. No panties, no bra. Silk white opera gloves covering each delicate finger and sheathing me to my elbows, dulling my tactile ability.
The room smells faintly of lilac and ginger. My body is prepared for You. Soft, freshly bathed and without scent, my hair down in wandering currents of curls, my lips adorned with nothing more than a wet glossing from my nervous tongue. The neckline of the gown plunges into my cleavage, leaving the silver brand You put about my throat to stand out against my skin. It feels heavy. Precious.
βForwardβ You say.
Shivering at the sound of the voice I love, I take tiny steps into a room I do not know, into a blackness I cannot penetrate, seeking He who is more than Master to me. Silent, steps hesitant, wondering behind the blindfold if there is some wild cliff halfway to You, where I will be left in utter ruin and alone.
Step. Step. Step. Like a desperate child, hands outstretching now, seeking the air for some point of reference, but none exist here. Only the knowledge of You. I know the floor is wood. I know the window is open behind the curtains; I feel a stifled breeze and hear the play of the hem of the drapes dancing on the floor. I close my eyes behind the double darkness, feeling somehow more sure then.
βStop.β
I obey. Always. Joyfully.
βRelax.β
Am I able? A moment of panic, wondering if I can obey, then letting my hands rest full against my sides, breathing a long breath in through my nose, and out.
You wait an intolerably long time to move, but when You do it is quick. I hear a sound; I know it is You, walking without shoes upon the wood floor. Then the drapes on smooth gliding metal mechanisms sliding hard, and the breeze is free. It comes to me, rushing cool and delighted with the arms of night to encircle me, dancing with me upon the floor while I do nothing but stand waiting, smiling at its greeting. Grateful for its cool breath down the cleavage and up the slitted skirt of the gown giving relief, I shift almost unconsciously to allow its fingers to play between my thighs.
I can almost feel You smile.
You move again. This time I can find you in the dark, pinning your place in my mind. You are to my left and in front. Now you are walking, further to the left, and I stand motionless while you circle. Taking an eternity to make one revolution, remaking my universe while I stand, considering what it means to be here.