"I'll Listen"

She holds out a finger
 waiting,
 wondering if I would ever take the chance
And slow my wings,
Touch down 
Sweeten the air with a soft flittering tune,
Let her stroke my dark feathers
And ignore the temptation to leave a red mark on her finger and fly away.

But I let the dream end.
I'm not brave enough
To trust,
To believe she wouldn't hurt me
While I let myself be vulnerable and weak.

I ignore her calls when I fly away-
Whispering apologies-
And a promise that next time,
I'll be braver.
Next time, I'll listen.