Black Opal

a small thing of the universe
a speck of dust whirling in smog
sinners in a dance, trying to form beauty
out of strain and desperation
because that is how all our hearts move
sunlit glimmers on a great width of sea
the little lambs we had and remember
the precious ones we lost to distance or death
were they not fresh springs in a dry, deficient land?
some were pearls, jade or amethyst
that became more beautiful with each gaze
but I have found an opal in a mysterious fracture
it was sleeping in sheets upon sheets of grey
it had to remain hidden from greedy eyes
I have discovered worlds within its colours
within the prismatic red, green and blue 
you, with all your black and all your light
you cut in with your gentle intensity
you planted and fostered landscapes
in arid plains, and you hung paintings
in the dusky alcoves of my mind
your radiance added lustre to my eyes for always
behind them, moments of collision remain
our bodies were entwined and tied together
and we embraced it all in our languor
you were the beauty in my breakdown
and the sheer force of frailty
you are still the salty taste of my tears
and the texture of my wet hair
you were never flawed, not once
and you were never a small thing
not to me