I like you
as a demon,
your hair a long, wild mane
and the crown of a king,
the dark ink of your heritage
running down your face, your neck,
every inch of your body,
lightning searing through
each bright drop of blood.
I like you
as a human,
your hair loose and falling
into your eyes,
a spirit unpredictable
and unbreakable,
with the kind of strange dreams that can only spring
from an existence rooted in brevity,
like a flame burning boldly in the dark.
I like you,
as you.
Your hair brushed back roughly
the way you prefer it,
your eyes and mouth laughing,
your cares devil may.
Reflecting a light
both extraordinary and uncomplicated:
everything honest, everything true.
Author's notes:
First: A huge thank you to all you lovely people who have left kudos and comments over the years. Every time I see them, they brighten my mood and my day so much. It's incredibly moving to know that other people enjoy my little fantasies of this universe!
Second: One of the main reasons this poem is included in the Ends of the Earth series is to have some content while also noting that there is an Ends of the Earth story I could not directly include on this site. In An Alien Desert is a fancomic that was part of Demon King! Urameshi, a Yusuke-focused tribute I made back in 2015. If you look this fic up on AO3, username maiji, you'll find the link in the notes. (This website does not permit links in stories).
Third: The actual author's notes on this poem. I wrote this in May… 2017. It's been a while. I've been doing some physical and digital cleaning during this pandemic time, and this includes going through drafts of old writing. I'm a firm believer that distance allows you to be more objective about what you create - that when things are fresh it's easier for you to focus on their flaws. I didn't remember writing this until after I reread it, and while I would definitely not call it perfect, there's nothing I want to change. So, here it is.
I have at least one other Ends of the Earth story that I'd like to wrap up as well, not to mention a few other stories in the Loyal Retainer series (especially the North Bound comic). It's kind of hard to say that any of these would really be the "last" Ends of the Earth or Loyal Retainer story, since the whole concept of these is open-ended. And hey... forever fornever, right?