april 28 {the poem project}

WHEREIN SHE RECOGNIZES CERTAIN UNHEALTHY IMPULSES
for Nicola
“I’m beginning to realize . . . how terrifyingly immature and vulnerable—even unstable [she really is]. There’s a fatal flaw running through her . . .” Erik; Susan Kay, Phantom

Nothing about my upbringing, nothing to do with society,
Nothing else in my world brings out this heat in me.

It’s just the dark in my veins.

Doesn’t matter if we’re together—doesn’t matter if we’re apart,
Soon the need drags me down and his love starts to shake me.
Just have to think about him. And that’s when it starts,
That’s when I sink in his arms and ask him to take me.

It’s something in the night,
Something burns ‘til none of me remains.
It’s some dream run out of light,
Something like the dark in my veins.

No-one else stands in my mind’s eye, no-one else I want to see.
Nobody, nobody, no-one else at all can do this to me.

It’s just the dark in my veins.

He breathes with my lungs, it’s my eyes he sees through,
He sings with my throat, God, it’s my blood he bleeds.
Nothing left, no, nothing left for me to do,
But dance him down this road, follow where he leads.

It’s the centre of a flame,
Something precious lost for what is gained,
It’s the echo of his name.
Or maybe it’s just the dark in my veins.

He sees the cruel something in me I don’t want to show,
An element of violence I don’t want to know I know . . .

Or is it just the dark in my veins?
Elaine Rowan

Today is my birthday, so I give you a poem based on Phantom of the Opera. Elaine Rowan wrote a slew of Erik/Christine poetry that is beautiful and heartfelt, as well as some other more general poems. I suppose some of it can be rather slavish to rhyme, but there’s something about this poem . . .