Arm's Length

In a world of traps, there is one who has caught my eye

Welcome to the dating pool
Murky and mysterious
Reach into the sack
Never know what you will find
Window shopping for love

Trophies on pedestals
Visually pleasing
Desired by many men
Exclusively offered
Privilege of the strongest

Sirens of the dating pool
Traps disguised as trophies
Enticing men to pursue them
Luring them into darker waters
Financially slayed by sharks

Unicorns of illusion
Perfect in every form
Custom tailored
The one they call "the one"
Ultimately nonexistent

Divas of business
Akin to honorable sirens
Unobtainable in whole
But for enough coin
They offer their primal goods

Ghosts in the summer night
Ethereal and alluring angels
Fleeting pleasures to indulge in
Vanishing like morning fog
Leaving no trace by daybreak

A woman's mask is all you witness
Their outermost shell
Truth hidden from all
Only coming to light
Fostering familiarity through time

Dusk approaches
Casting the line out
With my heart on a hook
Fishing for unicorns
Reeling back sirens, divas, and ghosts

Only one keeper tonight
A diva peddling her products
Tempting and alluring
I resisted her business
There was no deal

She did not disappear
Nor provided a stronger pitch
Merely staying near
Stories were exchanged
But connections kept at arm's length

Trust was not expected
Divas live in a dangerous world
A gamble they know and accept
Vicious men roaming every alley
Predators on the prowl

Maybe I reside in foolishness
Offering my hope to her
The woman with a broken past
Regardless of the circumstances
Divas will be scorned by society

Humans are only human
Man should not be hasty to judge
A life wrought with sin
Does forgiveness not exist?
What of the comfort of hope?

Scarred by the world
She remains jaded
Skeptical to good intentions
Her heart closed to my gentle words
The risk was too great

Who am I to her?
An unknown; a potential danger
Who is she to me?
A friend to relate to
Another soul to connect with

Off I go into the night
Delving deep into my thoughts
Will trust ever exist?
Time is sparse
The diva is drifting away

What it takes to believe in her
While I fished her from the pool
Did she fish the pity from my heart?
Belief demands faith
A faith my heart wishes to give

No matter how far I fall
No matter how badly I am beaten
No matter how much I am lied to
I will have faith in this world
There is always hope

Reviews

[Inessa]

The dating pool is absolutely shark infested, yes! While there are many sirens calling men to crash against the rocks, there are just as many male leeches ready to suck the blood of females they pursue. It's a murky ocean and one which we must swim in if we hope to find a partner. You have written about the scene very well.

[Mr. Malarkey]

Yeah online dating sucks for both sides in general. Trying to find that diamond in the rough is a lot easier said than done, and there's often tons of rough moments before you find "the one" if at all! Thank you for your thoughtful review! :)