do i tell her?
does she know?
can she smell my lust, my longing,
that lingers on his skin,
seeps into his pores,
after our furtive trysts?
i am always the sacred secret.
i embody the guilty pleasure.
i am the poison and the antidote.
but i am never the one that is chosen.
in those quiet moments
i berate myself
for being that woman.
i will always wait
i will always wonder about what might be
in another lifetime.
but in this one
i am always other people’s lovers.
Desiree-Anne Martin, born in 1976 in Cape Town, South Africa, is a published poet, author and general word junkie. She feels compelled to write, to speak her truth, so that her words may, perhaps, resonate with others in some significant way. A recovering addict and addictions counsellor, she is still helplessly addicted to the idea of hope.