“Naked Girl and MirrorThis is not I. I had no body once-only what served my need to laugh and runand stare at stars and tentatively danceon the fringe of foam and wave and sand and sun.Eyes loved, hands reached for me, but I was goneon my own currents, quicksilver, thistledown.Can I be trapped at last in that soft face?I stare at you in fear, dark brimming eyes.Why do you watch me with that immoderate plea-'Look under these curled lashes, recognizethat you were always here; know me-be me.'Smooth once-hermaphrodite shoulders, too tenderlyyour long slope runs, above those sudden shycurves furred with light that spring below your space.No, I have been betrayed. If I had knownthat this girl waited between a year and a year,I'd not have chosen her bough to dance upon.Betrayed, by that little darkness here, and herethis swelling softness and that frightened starefrom eyes I will not answer; shut out herefrom my own self, by its new body's grace-for I am betrayed by someone lovely. Yes,I see you are lovely, hateful naked girl.Your lips in the mirror tremble as I refuseto know or claim you. Let me go-let me be gone.You are half of some other who may never come.Why should I tend you? You are not my own;you seek that other-he will be your home.Yet I pity your eyes in the mirror, misted with tears;I lean to your kiss. I must serve you; I will obey.Some day we may love. I may miss your going, some day,though I shall always resent your dumb and fruitful years.Your lovers shall learn better, and bitterly too,if their arrogance dares to think I am part of you.”

“You asked me once if I would still love you when your lips were puckered with age and your eyes werefaded. I can assure you that I will still love you when I have only the strength (and the scant teeth) left togum those puckered lips. I shall love you when your bones are sharp enough to pierce my fragile flesh. Ishall love you when the light in my own eyes fades for good and yours is the last sweet face I see.Because I am and ever shall be…”

“How long were you standing there?""Long enough to know you will be leaving soon. I thought I should speak to you. I didn't think you would come to tell me. Would you have?""No. I wouldn't have expected you to care. You followed me?""Like a lovesick swain. Wherever you go, there am I. Haven't you noticed these past weeks?""I have seen you drinking and mocking with your jaded friends and your latest paramour on your arms. Or is it still Castlemaine? Have you no self-respect?""No. None." He shrugged. "Love is war, and feigned disinterest my armor. You wear yours too, love. It is sad I know.”

“Two Songs For The World's End I Bombs ripen on the leafless tree under which the children play. And there my darling all alone dances in the spying day. I gave her nerves to feel her pain, I put her mortal beauty on. I taught her love that hate might find, its black work the easier done. I sent her out alone to play; and I must watch, and I must hear, how underneath the leafless tree, the children dance and sing with Fear. II Lighted by the rage of time where the blind and dying weep, in my shadow take your sleep, though wakeful I. Sleep unhearing while I pray - Should the red tent of the sky fall to fold your time away, wake to weep before you die. Die believing all is true that love your maker said to you Still believe that had you lived you would have found love, world, sight, sound, sorrow, beauty - all true. Grieve for death your moment - grieve. The world, the lover you must take, is the murderer you will meet. But if you die before you wake never think death sweet.”

“I am who I am, I am Korwahk, I am warrior, I am Dax and you must accept me as what I am. I may have forced my body on yours but I did not force your love, you gave it to me knowing who I am. As we live our lives, you cannot decide to disagree with parts of that and then decide to take your love away, Circe. I’ll not live like that. Therefore, you need to reflect on this, come to your peace with it and never, my golden queen, never request another such concession from me.”

“Reed, I know that you think that it's better to wait until I evolve fully, but I don't think I can wait any longer..... You are my blood now and I'm yours. We are bound to each other in every way possible but one and I.. I don't know where I'm going, I don't even know what I've become, but I know that if I am with you, then I'm free...I'm home. Let me show you what you mean to me. Let me pull you into my world, as you have pulled me into yours.”

“I never thought of it like that. I always thought of you as a part of me, like my own eyes or my own hands. You don't go around thinking 'I love my eyes, I love my hands', do you? But think what it would be like to live without your eyes or your hands. To be mad, or to be blind. I can't talk about it. It's how I feel.”