fate deals a lousy hand
you have my ace of spades.

hand reaching out
to rest on a departing arm
“Juliet? d’you... do you’ve a moment?”
heart-hammering, breath coming
short “sure. Rosaline, wait for me in the lobby?”
confused glance, curious
but she leaves in a flurry of grace

please don’t knock down my house of cards
like you did last night, in the lounge
with a careless sweep of that hand
that hand which now pulls me close
close close closer
so close that i can smell the peaches you'd been eating

my personal bubble of space
has been invaded
but, oh sweet heaven, i couldn’t not-mind less

silence.
“Romeo? what is it?”
why have you pulled me so close, darling
god knows i’ve loved you from afar so long
why now, just when i’ve been learning
to walk away on my own
and ignore your easy appeal
beckoning to me across the room

but now your lips
are a heartbeat away from my ear
and your arm rests tentatively on mine
“i don’t know how to say this
don't laugh; i know i’ll sound like an idiot
i’m usually not this sappy, Juliet, believe me”

to any outsider
to anyone sitting in that lounge
watching us standing next to your half-finished breakfast
we’d seem like lovebirds
but the only words we’ve ever exchanged
are pleasantries and apologies
and i know this all too well

“i won’t laugh, Romeo”
i love you, Romeo
and you say those three words back to me
but my heart’s just crash landed
and it’s failed the run again

“what did he want?” curious, glint of gray eyes flashing
oh, Rosaline. pretty graceful Rosaline, with the light of the moon
in her every move
how could too-young Juliet ever compare?
everyone knows the moon is more desirable
than the all too predictable sun

now
porcelain mask firmly
in place, polished to a brilliant sheen

“Romeo wanted me to tell you—”