Chameleon Love

loving the sun with a careful stare,
he crawls through the thorn's
and greenleaves with rosebud scents,
among the trellis shadows
his sacred seeking eye glints
in his visions of his mate,
he mirrors his fame to her
like an honored son
with a flaming red belly and throat;
he dances on a green altar
blossoming his love ,
but his is a tangled world of fear and stealth,
and changing colors,
moods and silent times,
in trembling love of life's
writhing sweetness in tight embrace of lizard love
he wounds his lover with every touch
of his needleteeth and razorclaw. . .
but she loves their life together
as they dwell in the green mansions
of the rose garden

1992