Love Poem: Conquer
Xavier Keough Avatar
Written by: Xavier Keough

Conquer

We hide in suburban castles
behind plaster walls cracked by caged voices
as sleepless nights lay siege to slumbering secrets
guarded by iron gates and wooden doors
weathered by unwelcome whims
We stare through rusted keyholes
only to crawl through locked windows	
into a warring world of cloaked eyes
sneaking past discerning ears and puritan noses
ever suspicious of living life
We search for traces of love 
indelible lines of beauty 
recited by rhythmic ballerinas 
graced with long legs and smooth backs
guarded by moral mothers and firm fathers
who smother our secrets with their own
We walk in yesterday’s shadow
in fear of tomorrow’s echoing footsteps
portending signs of ponderous hearts
which lead us back to the safety of obscurity
before we mistakenly conquer ourselves