Carry on Tuesday Prompt #25

So this week's Carry On Tuesday prompt was an easy one for me to visualize -- which may be good or bad; I'm not sure. I almost immediately grasped an image and a story unfolded almost too-easily in my mind's eye: a woman leaning back into the arms of a dark angel, not human, a temptation that would demand her very soul. Obviously, both the image and the poem are still in the rough draft stage, as most Carry On Tuesday prompt responses are, and this one is rougher than most. I caught the idea while upstairs brushing my teeth before bed, so I scribbled it on the front and back of a square Post-It note, then later transcribed it into my writing notebook. So it's rough. Very rough. At least these prompts give me a little something to work with, rather like using freewriting as a tool to dredge up fresh ideas. So let me know what you think.

Carry On Tuesday Prompt #25: The title of the Sarah McLachlan song, "In the Arms of an Angel"

she leaned back into his arms --
the arms of an angel --
unthinkingly.
for once she followed
heart rather than head,
knowing the price
but surrendering anyway.

despite his arms around her,
she could not let herself relax --
not completely.
questions tattooing her brain:
is it worth it?
is he worth it,
worth it all?

slowly she straightened,
gently,
regretfully,
loosening his embrace,
looking deeply into
his too-wise eyes --
his too-knowing eyes.
her Soul
she could not abandon.
averting her gaze,
she stood,
turned,
walked away,
and never looked back.

copyright 2009 Susanne Barrett

Yes, rough. But I rather like the idea. I would spend time polishing it this afternoon, but I have a stack of MLA essays to grade from my September/October Brave Writer class (deadline: Saturday) and NaNoWriMo to start; I'm only ten pages from finishing reading what I wrote last year, and I plan to finish it this afternoon and perhaps start writing tonight.