Beauty and the Beast

One Night

"You must tell her!" instructs Lumiere

As my valet does my hair.

My mind wars in a fierce debate

Do I even have a chance to escape my fate?

"My skill with words was never the best,"

I object while I'm getting dressed.

"Well," he says "For a start,

Speak whatever is in your heart."

Finally I open the door to the stairs

And I find that you are already there.

Dressed in light and cloth of gold,

With endless patience and kindness untold.

And as we dine, by some strange chance

You pull me out of my seat to dance.

We dip and turn, spinning and twirling,

Your golden skirts continually swirling

As I hold you in my arms,

I am helpless to resist your charms.

Upon my chest you lay your head,

As naturally as it would rest on your bed.

After a time, the music slows,

Ebbing to nothing as the candles burn low.

And we go outside into the night,

With the stars as our only light.

Before me now is laid a choice:

Do I dare my feelings voice?

But when I see your face... "What's wrong?"

And you say that for your father you long.

"There might be a way," I state,

"For you to see him on this night so late."

And so I lead you to the enchanted rose—

Suspended in space as it glows.

From its table I proceed to claim

A silver mirror, and I explain:

"It can show you anything that you wish to see.

Anything at all, in perfect clarity."

You ask to see your father, with all of your might.

The magical mirror glows with light

Soon wrinkles begin to mar your brow,

And I wonder what's going on now.

At last, "He's sick!" you finally exclaim,

The sound of your voice filled with worry and pain.

"He may be dying, and he's all alone,"

But that is my fate if I let you go.

One life to save, one life to take,

And I know the choice I must make.

"Then... you must go to him," I say,

Relinquishing my chance to ever see day.

The rose petals are falling,

Soon the Beast will come calling.

My memories will die,

And my spirit will cry:

"Was it really worth the cost of my life

To safe the one I loved from heart-wrenching strife?"

My heart whispers "Yes. Your love was true."

But it didn't know how to love until I met you.

They say that it's better to have loved and then lost,

But when have they ever counted the cost?

Soon we will know how true was their sight,

For now I enter into the night.

[I love the title 'One Night' for this particular piece. It's so simple and self-evident, but also incredibly deep and multilayered. I hope that you enjoyed this poem as much as I do. Thank you for reading!]