Sport 28: Autumn 2002
Silver Mirror with Cupids
Silver Mirror with Cupids
for Tonia
Silver-rimmed and oval and inside
a parted curtain of silver edging
two Cupids race with gold-etched bows.
The one above would miss the one below
and likewise the one beneath: the arrows
would whistle past their outflung heels
their whirring active wings would drive them past
the vacancy of half a glass they patrol
with the insistence of humming birds. Love
must be hereabouts. The strong soft arms
hold the arrows for instant release. The torsos
float so confidently on the surface, covering
the intervening space. It must be a face
they are waiting for. One arrow will clip
the ear of anyone who appears, the other
land in your hair. You will be hemmed in
the second you appear. Still who would fear
if appearing is the perquisite to taking a chance?