My lover, my lover, is a creature of winter.
He runs full force through cold air, fogged breath.
He inhales the stinging and begins his smooth singing;
it is in the coldness his sweet voice rings best.

My lover, my lover, he comes in the morning.
He’s up and rising before the slow sun.
He’s pulled up his bootstraps and combed out his hair
and eaten his breakfast before my day’s begun.

My lover, my lover, he likes to take pictures.
He takes the camera and holds me from behind.
He forces a smile to spread ‘cross my cheekbones,
but the flash jumps out and I blink back the blind.

My lover, my lover, oh he’s such a good lover!
He lifts me up and twirls me around.
As I swoon, he wraps his arms to hold me;
forever catching, he’s hesitant to put me down.

My lover, my lover, he is one of a kind;
I describe his face and all look at me strange.
They’ve never the privilege of seeing my lover,
or knowing another with his elegant name.

My lover, my lover, he gives forehead kisses.
I collapse into his chest, he rubs my back as I ache.
We can sit like this for moments or hours;
he strokes my hair and whispers okay.

My lover, my lover, is an acrobat by nighttime.
He keeps me up for hours, spinning aerial tricks.
He performs on the ceiling and takes up the darkness;
he entertains me forever, ‘til I begin to grow sick.

My lover, my lover, has always been my lover;
at least, I can’t recall a self without him.
At tables and car rides, he’s always beside me.
He knows how I’ve grown: my blessings, my sin.

My lover he analyzes all I’ve defined
as good and bad; what I explore what I deny
My lover he controls and deepens the bruise
and looms in peripheral and threatens to lose.

My lover, he leaps forth and perpetuates
strengthening the habits which he creates;
and at the end of the night, my singsongs resonate
all I’ve done wrong, all logic negates.

My lover, my lover, oh how I do love my lover!
He’s kissed me has danced me has held me has lovered me,
has cut me has bound me has gagged me has smothered me!
He’s twirled me and hugged me and spun me and won me,
has sliced me has cursed me has struck me -- what luck me!

And they all keep screaming he isn’t my lover,
and they all keep screaming I’m making him up.
And they all keep screaming that he does not love me,
but they haven’t known him, have never met my love!

But they all keep screaming that I need to look closely
and they all keep screaming that I’m bleeding out
and I find myself standing in front of a mirror,
and I hear my own voice beginning to shout

But I cannot, he holds me!
Oh, my lover kisses gently.
We belong together; only he knows my mind.
And together we’ll sit
and together we’ll lie;
My lover, my lover
he stands by my side.