At the Junction of Charm and Joy

At the junction of charm and joy
stands a man with an accent  you can't quite identify.
He looks familiar and smiles with kindness,
his teeth give nothing away of potential deception or imperfection.

His attire is appropriate and well pressed
with no filth or unpleasantness to give away
the clues to your mistrust, your intuition sounding alarms
like a local thief walking down the street near the police station
everyone aware of his faults and weaknesses.

Ask him to take the envelope from his pocket.
Demand that he read the contents in full daylight.

Perhaps it is a poem, sweet with words that will convince you
of the possibilities of love.
Better yet, a contract backed up by a guarantee of authenticity,
proof that happiness can be had.
Reassurances in writing that you will not be duped again
by your need to be satisfied
by someone
or something
outside the surface
of your own skin.

Read it yourself
and weep as the ink dissolves
as if the thinness of all these promises
were smoke released from the lungs
of just another common dragon.