Some of us know the anguish of loving
And never being loved in return;
Hope gets consumed in fires of remorse,
But despair and anguish will not burn

Some of us know the journey of the heart
Can be fatal when trust goes astray;
Soon love falters, then withers and dies,
But the memories do not decay

Some of us seem to get so close to love,
It's just within the grasp of our hand;
Into that stream we foolishly plunge,
But it's just a mirage in the sand

Some of us think love is pure happiness,
But it's love that teaches us to cry;
We've been told that love is immortal,
But through tear-filled eyes, we watch it die

Some of us have learned to dwell in darkness --
There's a strength we find within these walls;
With so many of us living here,
We laugh at loneliness when it calls

Some of us sulk, while others dare to hope
For that glorious dream that yet may be;
Some of us say we are done with love,
But you'll never hear those words from me!

Shadows lengthen, day is almost done,
Laid to rest are dreams of tomorrow;
Flickering embers of a dying sun
Seem to mock my unrestrained sorrow

O, Life, how falsely you've dealt with me!
Starving for love, I feasted on lies;
When my head was bowed in agony,
You sent more woe, dressed in hope's disguise

With hands wrapped around an empty glass,
Waiting for someone to pour the wine,
Through tear-filled eyes I watched the years pass,
Each night praying that my star would shine

Enough! My eyes gave their share of tears,
(Though some higher force may disagree,
But I've moved beyond those threats and fears,
Dismissing that which I cannot see)

My feet will no longer tread this path
Formed of craggy rocks, nettles and thorns,
Designed by some Power, wielding its wrath
On beings it designed, and now scorns

My heart and I have suffered enough --
We long to lie 'neath some ancient tree
Where the woes of this world we'll rebuff,
Basking in a long-sought liberty

Every tear from my eyes has been drained,
My life, to the last, remains unblessed;
Has not enough suffering been ordained?
Enough!   I've earned my eternal rest!

It didn't seem quite so urgent then
To lay my Song of Love at his feet;
The buds of Spring were yet to open,
And the song of the robin was sweet

I kept my song safe inside my heart,
I'd give it voice at just the right time,
As enchanting as a full blown rose
Would be the melody and the rhyme

And I rehearsed, a line at a time,
All the while, Fate watched from the back room;
My Song of Love, soon it would be sung
When the lilac trees burst forth in bloom

The lilacs dried, summer changed her dress,
While the hills took on a crimson hue;
No one asked to hear my Song of Love,
And soon the frigid winter winds blew

Now, behind snow-crested mountains,
Summer's sun has begun to descend;
My song lies wrapped in a burial shroud --
A concept it cannot comprehend

My Song of Love still wants to be heard,
"Tomorrow" still vibrates on my tongue;
Alas! tomorrows have come and gone
And my Song of Love remains unsung

Love is the Beauty that overtakes
Our every sense of being alive,
The dew of Heaven that nourishes
Each new dream, enabling it to thrive

Love is the Beauty our eyes emit
As it rekindles the lambent flame
Cruelly extinguished when loneliness
Comes to inhabit our weakened frame

Love is the Beauty of eventide
When every star in the universe
Floods the sky with gold and silver orbs,
And the moon prompts poets in their verse

Love is the Beauty that ambles through
The desolate chambers of the mind,
Removing all the hopeless despair
That loneliness often leaves behind

Loneliness is the uncaring Beast
That laughs while our broken spirit mourns,
It suffocates our passions and dreams,
Laying on the heart a crown of thorns

The Beast of Loneliness is famine,
Whereas Love is an infinite feast;
To appreciate the joy Love brings,
They both must exist ..... Beauty and Beast

When doubt and fear attack my heart
My world adopts a somber hue,
As the battle rages, I panic,
But then I find my peace in you

When I can no longer believe
That God's mercy will see me through,
You come to me, rewriting my faith,
And I find salvation in you

While the unending jolts of life
Keep me mindful of pain and rue,
I know wherein lies my remedy:
I find healing comfort in you

At times my sun sets too early
And the darkness obstructs my view;
My feet may wander dubious paths,
But I find forgiveness in you

O, keeper of my troubled heart,
With each day my hope you renew,
Please, never unclasp your hand from mine,
For I find my guidance in you

Though my words be inadequate
My dear one, know this to be true:
Whenever I'm lost in life's travails
I always find myself in you

As trees awake from their Winter rest,
How they shiver without their green sleeves;
Doleful birds gaze at their vacant nest,
Alone, the mateless dove mourns and grieves

Icy snow covers the forest floors,
Even my hot tears are turned to frost;
Has the sun shuttered its golden doors?
It appears Nature's wires have been crossed

Winter's settled in and won't depart,
The hearth's cold embers will not relight;
My love left, taking with him my heart,
Frozen I stood as he left my sight

Angels peer down from their lofts on high
As cries of anguish rise to their ears;
Who dares to set Nature's laws awry!
What force is this that can stir such fears!

Without his love these bleak wintry days
Are dimming my view of Paradise;
Bid him come to lift this cold dark haze,
Only then can sunbeams leave the skies!

He was the guardian of my dreams,
Alas! he carelessly let them fall
Through the ice of Winter's murky streams,
Spring will be late ...... if it comes at all

Let me chance upon a secluded nook
Where Life's bitter torments seem to cease;
There I shall transcribe a most dismal book ---
My heart's voiceless pain seeking release;
A field of daisies swaying in good cheer
Might lighten this burden so sad and drear

Or  I might climb to the top of a hill
Where the scent of heather stirs the air,
And the clear mountain springs sputter and spill
Over ferns dwelling happily there;
A comforting balm shall course through my veins
As my heart dictates its mournful refrains

While tides ebb and flow o'er a restless sea,
My pen will scrawl with a feverish zest;
And when all endurance is drained from me,
On some grassy knoll I'll take my rest;
As the night unfolds its jeweled canopy
My heart will shed its cloak of agony

But should more toil await as night draws near,
Pity me not for this endless day;
For life has ****** many a poisoned spear,
And this poet's heart must have its say;
Not till the very last vestige of pain
Is expelled, will my heart find peace again