Ode to the Oriental Empress

Defining beauty is a rare perplexity.
In its true form--exhibited by you--
It is stunning and unique,
Yet cannot be newly described
By a simple man like me
Unless the words have been
Given by God’s graceful lips,
Pouring like liquid lyrics of a song,
Unfiltered, into my soul.

You are the gold of Helen
Without the regret.
You are the epitome of elegance
Without the extravagance.
You are the only one to whom
Artemis concedes second.

Encapsulated beneath your
Shining face is an unsolved
Mystery--a new discovery.
And when I peer deep into
Your bright eyes--
Like swirling galaxies do they hypnotize
--I am lost:

I envision myself on the
Edge of the wide world,
Standing below the Heavens
And above a thundering
Waterfall carrying all but
You and me into the
Dark abyss beyond.  Then before me,
Dwarfing in its immensity,
Is a foreign world,
Beautiful and blue.

Through the atmosphere,
Straight to the molten soft core,
A place that no patience can procure,
And is only reachable by the deepest fall,
To the heart of the matter--
Gently, steadily, beating out
The end of time itself.

You are the chalice to life,
An enigma sought by all
Seeking desire,
Whose cincture holds no more
A master than simple man
Over loving nature.
Let your whispering melody play
With the gentle sun to greet the new day.