her beauty draws me near

but her mind awes and inspires

its depths fathomless as unexplored seas

tempt me to dwell where I dare not go

for her wit confounds me

my tongue from which words flow like water

will not let them pour forth

dammed behind a stuttering wall

of timidity so unlike my habitual manner

as to be unrecognizable to poor Watson

 

I dare not confide my unaccustomed reticence

reveal the breadth of my excitation

in case it interferes with investigations

yet I fear it may

for were she to lay a trap for me

snare me in a plot

would I dare trust my instincts?

they baffle me so

 

addled as I am

there is only one recourse –

escape this raging turmoil

reconcile my emotions and my wits

contrive equilibrium once more

and when I am able to lay passions

long since quelled to rest

foreswear or redouble my resolve

to protect and serve