The Lotus Pond

The bumpy narrow winding road,

Snakes around the woods and hills;

And veers off on a sudden tangent,

To disappear in a clump of trees.

I follow the path I cannot see,

So thick are the trees surrounding me.

The pristine silence of the warm spring day,

Occasionally broken by the cooing dove.

And frogs making merry in lively concert,

Leaping out of the water to rest.

The fragrance in the air is a precious gift,

Floating down from the blossoms around.

The woods come abruptly to a sudden end,

Revealing a clearing that hosts a pond.

A pond with heavenly lotus in bloom,

Shaded by the leaning willow trees.

And seated on the jutting rocks beneath,

Two lovers gazing passionately in each other's eyes.

Bold and timid at the same time,

They touch hands lightly, afraid to do more.

But the frogs in the lotus pond are singing,

Giving them heart to shed their fear.

And so they move closer, and closer still,

She rests her delirious head on his shoulder;

She is more dauntless, more driven by love,

For she divorces tradition and presses her lips,

To his flushed, feverish burning cheek.

Emboldened, he gathers her up in his arms,

And holds her tight against his heart,

She raises her face and he seals her lips,

With a kiss that promises commitment for life.