Risking
All,
You sit,
Feet
Swinging,
On Joyce's
Kitchen
Counter,
Allowing
William
Out
For a
While.
William
Is naive,
But
Charming.
Face open
As a child's
He
Fumbles
For words,
Blushing
If he could,
Catching
Himself,
Relaxed,
Laughing—
They smile
Back.
William
Is
Quite
Appealing.
He
Disarms
Them,
Buffy's
Mother,
Buffy's
Sister,
Giving you
What you
Want,
What you
Need.
William
Basks
In this
Warmth.
How
Pleasant
It is
To take
Off the mask,
Or is it
A mask?
Being you
Is exhausting,
The interplay
Of conversation,
Refreshes.
William
So badly
Wants to be
Heard.
The reason
You came
Here
Enters
At last,
Guileless
William
Forgets,
Approaches,
And by
Words
Is slapped
Down.
So blindly
With words
You slap
Back.