Black Rose Falls

half-a-face enclos’d in disharmony, an anti-bliss b’low with blister’d stains. breaths like steam, seal soak’d in leather, adorn’d in porcelain. a face his mother disdain’d. his image as if twins, one perfect the other dark soul’d, to the devil yet. but Christine, lifting fear from her countenance, braves to brace both palms against his cheeks. they feel so warm, tender, soft. they release true love at last. not the romantic kind but kindness, a shock that restarts his heart. a black rose falls for a second time, not in jealousy, not in bitterness, not wearing hatred. the black rose falls onto new snow. a monster becomes a man. his heart feels the dagger, kills his doppelgänger. he lets her go. she returns his ring. he lets her go again. tears and shatter’d glass release him once again into the cruel world. we don’t know where he hides but a black rose adorn’d with a wedding ring appears at her gravestone. his undying love let her live her life. he paid homage in the shadows and perhaps in life after death he would find one friend. his opera of romance and terror ended the night of the swinging chandelier, the stoking of the flames of hell, where’d the devil’s horns and tail paid him homage. recovery of rebirth — the phantom stirs the lake in his solitary boat, no longer afraid of his reflection, perfection was encased in palms and lips so pure and God Himself kissed his forehead. Welcome son. 3/1/2021