I inhale her

I inhale her
like menthol for my cold heart.

She is an elixir
brewed from pure passion
and distilled on the fires of enchantment
to extract the essence of lust.
Diluted it evokes muscular spasms
undiluted, it binds till death.

Her smile has Jezebel's charm
but none of her malice
and her kiss
is the balm Achilles needed
to heal his heel.

I swear I have sought answers
in the submarine clarity
of the red sea
in the blood of pagans and pilgrims and preachers
and further still
in the winds of wetlands and war zones
yet all I have found
is air
her&;#8230;
and when I inhale
I inhale love
that's why I inhale her.