A sumptuous feast adorns the table
Of those lucky few whom love has found,
Their hunger for love more than satisfied
By a banquet leaving them spellbound

What rejoicing spills from starving hearts
When love's elixir is first tasted;
They feast with a voracious appetite --
Then beg more, with not a drop wasted

They walk the ripe orchards of passion
As the sweet fruits fall into their hand;
The bounty is one to be coveted,
The harvest is nothing short of grand

But the lonely hearts stare longingly
Into the forbidden dining hall,
Hiding in shadows, they scour the floor
For any sustenance that might fall

But all they find is bread and water,
And as the banquet hall's vacated,
The lonely linger, still searching for scraps,
Their hunger for love goes unsated

Cautiously they rush the cellar door,
Anticipating what they may find --
Most likely, just a bit of rotting fruit,
Blemished, with worm holes scarring the rind

But should this not be deemed a blessing?
Though it may be seen as meagre fare,
Is not a morsel of discarded love
Better than the cupboard that lays bare?

Bread and water found by the lonely
Is the banquet upon which they feast;
Ravenously they feed on scraps of love,
Like the bone flung to a starving beast

So bring your alms of bread and water,
Take pity on these wretched losers;
Though often they dream of a royal feast,
Beggars of love cannot be choosers

How merry is the song that I sing,
How jubilant are the bells that ring,
How do I convey the joy they bring
When my darling speaks his words of love?

Like feathers his words float on the wind,
Bringing such joy, I fear I have sinned;
On this one man all my dreams are pinned,
No greater blessing can I think of

But when he's silent, I want to cry,
When I call and there is no reply,
I can't smile, no matter how I try,
Let him speak! I beg Heaven above

Anxiously I wait while the tears fall
When for days he speaks no words at all,
The thrill of past words  I must recall
Lest I die for want and lack thereof

And then the clouds part and angels sing,
O, what joy his words once again bring,
I would not trade them for anything,
When my darling speaks his words of love!

The grains of sand grow fewer each day,
The task of the hourglass is at hand;
Shamed by poor decisions that paved my way,
Tears flow like pearls from a broken strand  

My heart was drowning in loneliness --
Ten fathoms deep, and still descending,
Crying mutely while sinking in distress,
Begging for a merciful ending

Then my heart was shaken to its core
And in golden laurels it was framed
When unexpected love knocked at the door,
Errant love, just begging to be claimed

Why did I not let my heart take flight?
Like a bashful ****** it waited,
With expectations of that wondrous night
When passion's hunger would be sated!

How clearly I see in retrospect
A foolish choice I could not then see;
Deprived of love, and weakened by neglect,
My heart now stands in judgement of me

These days, slow and labored is my stride,
As my conscience plots its alibi;
I found a place where my regrets can hide,
But loneliness vows to testify

Guilty! is the verdict that I hear --
For my folly, a price must be paid;
Eden's garden had never been so near,
With its fruits so temptingly displayed

Fraught with doubt, I turned his love away,
Sending hope back to its darkened lair;
And for this offense I face Judgement Day,
My wronged heart has no mercy to spare

For what purpose has morning come again,
Did my cries awake the sleeping sun?
As dawn tolls its bell, the moon bids farewell,
And the sun's rays unfold, one by one

And still no response when I call to you,
Can your ears not hear my mournful hymn?
Now through tear-filled eyes I watch the sun rise,
And so begins the day, bleak and grim

How does Heaven justify such cruelty,
Taking from me what I most desire?
With a searing flame, Death's cruel arrow came
And pierced your heart, setting my world afire

Reluctantly, birds gather on branches,
Sadly, to sing their songs they decline;
While I cry for you, their cries are heard, too;
O sing, faithful friends, this pain is mine!

A lonely wind now surges through my world,
Missing you cuts my heart like a knife;
My heart's in tatters ..... nothing else matters,
It was your love that defined my life

Now shadows lengthen as the darkness falls,
And tomorrow's pain, well within view,
While I hold tight to your memory tonight,
I may smile ..... but then I'll cry for you

What artist has dared to lay his brush
Upon this canvas, and vainly strive
To paint life into a dying heart
That surrendered its will to survive?

Only a master would dare this feat,
This assignment so bizarre and rare:
Paint a woman starved of love and joy,
Without revealing her true despair

Study those eyes locked in a cold gaze,
As if hiding unbearable pain;
Who can surmise what hell burns within?
This mute painting will never explain

A tear-moistened smile rests on her lips,
Causing premonitions dark and bleak
To the viewer, who can only guess
What he might hear if those lips would speak

Her empty hands, resting in her lap,
Are clasped together as if in prayer;
Voiceless supplications rise unheard,
A deafening silence fills the air

What artist is this that chose to paint
What the uncaring Fates have decreed:
A life of unending loneliness,
A broken heart, ever meant to bleed

Great artist, your work is now complete,
A masterpiece of duality --
Despair and hope, laced with smiles and tears,
Obscuring her true identity

This painter who dared not sign his name,
Nor from this daunting task, seek release --
Surely, now you recognize his style
As you behold Misery's masterpiece!

Come, my love, we've no time to waste,
The clock is chiming eleven,
Just enough time to get one last taste
Of the Sweet Elixir of Heaven

Autumn's love is no less sublime
Than Spring's first love, daring and grand;
But the hourglass has turned its last time .....
We must outrun Life's fast-falling sand

Pace cannot be arbitrary ---
The river is starting to freeze;
Hurry, my love, try not to tarry,
If you must, crawl on your hands and knees!

Love is calling in the distance,
Offering us her glorious shroud;
Lest she think we offer resistance,
Let us claim all the joy we're allowed

Autumn's last buds will soon depart,
As icy winds nip at the vine;
Soon nothing will stir this dying heart --
Neither love, nor song, nor vintage wine

Time is anxious to take its toll,
The sun's setting ..... let us make haste;
No longer at leisure can we stroll,
Come now, my love .... we've no time to waste!

If I were on the shore, looking out toward the sea,
And from a distance, you beckoned to me,
Could I not tread water to reach you in haste,
To be held in your arms, and your kisses to taste?

If I were a garden wall made of rock and stone
And you, a vine, forsaken and alone,
How could I not invite you to boldly climb
Until I was covered by your foliage sublime?

If I were sure that it's my love you were craving,
And from a cloud, to me you were waving,
The embers of passion's fire having been stirred,
Could I not fly directly to you like a bird?

If you were to tell me I alone owned your heart,
How incomplete you feel when we're apart,
Even after death, I shall not be forgot ....
Would I love you, too? My darling, how could I not!

When the heart refuses to forget
A love that left it in disarray,
And memories come knocking at the door
But the heart cannot turn them away
For it still worships at that secret shrine,
Try not to despair, everything will be fine

When petals fall from the withered rose,
And from its face fades the morning's glow,
The grief-stricken bee fondly recalls
The sweet nectar that once used to flow;
But when a new rose invites him to dine,
What bliss! for he knows everything will be fine

When dreams grow weak and struggle for breath,
In angst we cry "Why must it be so?"
But never discard your dying dreams --
Gather them close, and don't let them go!
Though in defeat we're tempted to resign,
If we persevere, everything will be fine

The mind and heart are but mortal things,
Subject to erosion and decay;
The haughty will is conquered by Time,
Old memories die and fade away;
But once we've made it to the finish line,
Peace awaits there, and everything will be fine

And the loved ones we have missed and mourned
Will bear witness to a simple truth:
Love does not die, but is eternal,
Like the golden fantasies of youth;
We'll witness Death's role in this Grand Design,
As angels chant "You're home now ..... everything's fine!"

Today the sun rose in a peculiar way,
As if it were afraid to announce the day;
First, with a cautious eye it scoured the land,
Coy, with a fear of unfounded reprimand;
Slowly its ribbons of light were unwinding,
But so pale, they could hardly be called blinding!
What could be the cause of the sun's hesitance?
What could possibly be prompting this reticence?
I wonder, did the sun hear my idle threats?
Last night, missing you, I was filled with regrets;
As the pain in my heart began to accrue,
I dreaded facing a new day without you,
And as the morning dawned, I said foolish things:
"How dare the sun rise, knowing the pain it brings!
Has it no compassion, just heartless cruelty?
I wish the sun would drown in a stormy sea!
Its flames be extinguished, leaving but embers,
Crying for the past glory it remembers.
What I wouldn't do to make the sun depart,
Too long it has thrown flaming knives at my heart!"
And so for my grief I cast blame on the sun
And wished for the day to be over and done;
Regretting my folly, I now realize
My words, spoken in angst, were cruel and unwise;
Fear not, Sun, nothing will harm your dazzling flame,
For my pain and loneliness, you're not to blame;
So rise, dear Sun, fill the world with your glory--
I'll reproach the Moon for my purgatory!