‘Desire and Anxiety’

a poem by curator Vince Vanden Bogaard

Imagine my fingers:

growing ceaselessly,

performing their little dance.

Subtle glow, escaping from your eyes.

Mischief in your smile.

Have you ever closed your eyes,

skimming the roses?

Captivating scent.

Serrated leaves.

Softness of the petals. The thorns.

From your finger prints, your nails.

Touch the stems,

the pistil, the heart of the flower.

Hurt yourself. Tear the dermis apart.

Imagine your flagrance to lead me, sticking to my skin

like the moisture of Summers.

A consuming fire. Burning.

Pains in my chest,

the quivering pleasure.

That appeal, which we cannot fight.

Doubts. The fear of behaving wrongly.

Going over the other side.

Psychological struggles that make us closer.

That make us so far.

A haunted waltz,

adroitly choreographed.

Picturing the flower turning brown,

Look at the petals falling down

right on the ground,

still covered with dust of regrets,

with sweat of craving.

About your silhouette,

and your face.

Remember. Always.