Standing at the footbridge I kept watch each night,
My lantern raised high, casting its brilliant light;
I helped him pass safely, one side to the other,
Then watched as he ran to the arms of another

Now my lantern is cold, no flames burning bright,
No more do I search for those lost in the night;
Next to the hearth, on pillows strewn o'er the floor,
I sip wine with wanderers who knock at my door

Many were the hours my head was bowed,
Supplicating mindless deities;
(With what foolish thoughts man is endowed!
But  . . . we pick and choose our liberties)

Then I had a most disturbing dream . . .
I saw mountains of unanswered prayer,
Mankind's tears formed an eternal stream,
While the dust of dead gods filled the air

And amidst this turmoil and malaise
Stood the ruins of an empty throne
Where the ghosts of Folly sang their praise,
Paying homage to the Great Unknown

In a state of panic I awoke --
Was this vision my epiphany?
Perhaps Truth dons a deceitful cloak
To disguise the barbs of Reality?

Countless times these hands have clasped in prayer,
And to each prayer futile hope was pinned . . .
An imagined throne with no one there . . .
Endless litanies  . . . lost to the wind!

Yet, Hope's chrism courses through our veins
Every time we utter useless prayers;
If only all those passionate refrains
Were acknowledged by someone who cares!

Will you dare to heed this clarion call?
Ease the heart of someone in despair!
Kindly acts - although they may be small,
Just might be the answer to a prayer

A seed of love that never found
The hallowed path to fertile ground;
The fruitless tree, the orchard bare . . .
Although unseen, the pain is there

How sad the heart that stokes the bed
Of ashes from a love long dead;
Futile hope that a spark might flare . . .
How great the pain that's dwelling there

An outstretched hand that no one holds
As night's obsidian cloak unfolds;
Whispered low, a desperate prayer,
But no response . . . the pain's still there

As the tide leaves, you'll hear the shore
Cry out "O, please, come back once more!'
Desolation's so hard to bear . . .
Barren and bleak, yet pain thrives there

The widowed sparrow mourns her mate --
Brief happiness, betrayed by Fate;
A nest designed with tender care,
But not abandoned -- pain lives there

The loneliness of passing years
No longer prompts my wasted tears;
Too late we learn life is unfair,
Yet all the while, the pain is there

When the sun waves farewell I'll keep my rendezvous
With Love, in a sanctum well-hidden from view;
To the Tower of Happiness together we'll climb,
It won't be long now . . . just a matter of time

After turning and tossing in anxious despair,
Sleep overtakes, and untamed joy fills the air;
For Love is the key that unlocks Heaven's door,
And O, what marvels will be ours to explore!

These breathtaking thoughts stir the depths of my soul,
And so to Love's edicts I relinquish control;
The real world dissolves when Love's born of a dream --
Lovers dictate the rules and fashion the scheme

While Love owns the night, not a word need be spoken.
But with dawn's first light the enchantment is broken;
As I watch the darkness quickly slipping away,
I implore the moon to persuade Night to stay

But their task has ended . . . there are rules to obey,
And I tremble to witness the first light of day;
Alone once again, roused from my fantasy
I pray: Take the night then, but let the dream be!

But I know that tonight when the stars fill the sky,
We'll meet in that Make-Believe land, Love and I,
For dreamers know the hour when to secretly stray
To their own magic realm, and love the night away!

As I gaze into Life's sea of tears
Mine is not the only reflection;
Many hearts loiter in darkened spheres,
Wandering with no sense of direction

So when heartache starts to overwhelm
(Consequence of Love's sly trickery)
I find respite in a phantom realm
Of ploys mimicking Love's ecstasy

Night may find me trekking paths unknown
With only the moon's glow to guide me;
Pity me not, thinking I walk alone . . .
My shadow's always close beside me

In a bottle I place love letters,
Then I cast them to the restless sea;
Wretchedness frees me of its fetters
When the tide brings those words back to me

I shout "I love you" to the distant hills,
Then listen for my echo's return;
I stand in awe as Hope's chalice spills
Forth that vow for which lonely hearts yearn

I'll admit, these are weird strategies,
So why do I use them? you may ask;
Desperate hearts seek desperate remedies . . .
Love's indifference groomed me for this task!

With the first breath that you draw
I'm there to take control;
Servant to a higher law
I'm dealt a daunting role

I am Life! My cosmic dust
Now courses through your veins;
**** and curse me,  if you must . . .
You're now bound by Earth's chains

I know of your strengths and flaws,
Your notions, good and vile;
For each tear I know the cause,
And all that makes you smile

I'm the one who tolls the bell,
Inviting you to prayer
When the pain you bravely quell
Is more than you can bear

When I give you cause to grieve,
What scorn you bring to me;
Yet, when I threaten to leave,
O, how you cling to me!

When love's absence dims your eyes
And causes tears to pour,
Please know that I empathize,
But I can do no more

I'm  bound to a charted course -
Not of my own design;
Someday you'll join that same Force,
But right now, you're all mine

Though my methods may be spurned
And known to trigger strife,
This is how lessons are learned
In classrooms taught by Life

I'll be told when to collect
The total debt you owe;
(There's a harvest to expect
From every seed you sow)

And when your account comes due
I'll siphon your last breath,
Then safely deliver you . . .
Into the arms of Death

How nice of you to come visit me,
I wondered who was at the door.
Rarely does anyone come to call,
So please, pardon the dreary decor

Of course, there are cherished memories
That answer to my beck and call;
Some make me smile, while others bring tears --
You may wonder why I keep them all

Well, memories reflect reality --
Long ago, Hope's idle dreams fled;
I haven't seen or heard from them since
(I'm beginning to think they're all dead)

But I'll not go searching for lost dreams,
Nor on their return will I dwell,
For dreams are precarious footpaths
That can lead us to heaven . . . or hell

Fate writes the script for Life's theater,
And assigns our last curtain call;
Foolishly, I thought I was in charge . . .
Now I laugh as I roam Memory's Hall

There are times I draw back the curtains
Just to see what goes on out there;
But your world is no better than mine,
With its endless turmoil and despair

I like to think I've found asylum
In a world so devious and cruel,
Then Fate laughs and scornfully taunts me . . .
It's true, there's no fool like an old fool

But solitude offers safe harbor--
Yes, my flag of surrender's unfurled!
Please, leave if I cause you discomfort ---
But if you stay . . . . .  welcome to my world