Christine Rose

This morning I was reminded of how Erasure’s Andy Bell truly opened my eyes that night in 1987 when they opened for Duran Duran. I grew up in East Texas, so his flamboyance and unapologetic gayness shocked me. I don’t think I ever had so much respect for anyone as I did for him.

I wrote this poem when I was 18 (over 35 years ago!!), inspired by Erasure’s song Phantom Bride from their third album The Innocents.

Phantom Lover

Here I lie in an empty bed
On a night so cold in Glasgow
Dreaming dreams inside my head
Of a love I’ll never know

Just once to touch his perfect lips
And feel his sweet caress
As we engage in a tender kiss
And both begin to undress

There’s passion like I’ve never felt
He wipes away the tears
His soothing voice makes me melt
And takes away my fears

Now here we are, the two of us
Forever and so deeply in love
What began as simply lust
We now have risen above

Then so suddenly the song does end
The dream is gone forever
And here I lie to meet no friend
Or my phantom lover