No longer will sadness set the tone,
Despair won't define my waking hours;
Never will the sun hear me bemoan
Lonely tears that cascade like Spring showers

To solitude's woes I'll not be bound
As long as the sun saunters the sky;
Like vile weeds I'll pluck them from the ground,
Laughing as their flowerheads droop and die

Love's silent voice will be disavowed
Since it will not speak the words I crave;
In defeat my head will not be bowed,
To Love I'll not be a faithful slave

I'll mimic the music box dancer,
Twirling 'round and 'round in silent glee,
While secretly begging the answer
To why Love withholds its melody

All throughout the day I'll wear a smile,
Every tortured longing will take wing;
I'll defy Fate's decree all the while,
But when night falls ..... well,  that's another thing!

The pillow I sleep upon each night
Seems to be in a state of distress,
All because the pillow next to mine
Yearns for the head it used to caress

Each dawn my pillow is wet with tears,
A mystery I'm loath to explain;
Imagine, a pillow shedding tears.......
Clearly, from the realm of the arcane!

But I've heard whispers deep in the night,
When the pillows believe I'm asleep;
Softly I hear them call out his name,
And after a while they start to weep

Then morning comes with a tarnished joy,
Rising with the sun are pangs of woe;
This dampness on my cheek just confirms
My fears that the pillows miss him so

How am I to comfort their sorrows,
When my own despair I cannot numb?
Yet, the pillows must be told the truth --
But when I speak, all the wrong words come

I tell the pillows there'll come a time
Their feathers will caress someone new;
Although my heart scoffs at such a lie,
I must tell it ....... or I might cry too

Seeking to escape harsh reality,
I pretended to be a vine,
Climbing and clinging to a strong oak,
My eager tendrils did entwine;
With gladdened heart each morn I awoke,
Free of cares and woes, and life was fine

'Round and 'round I twisted, embracing him --
To reach Heaven's light was my goal;
Steadfast and oh, so strong was my oak,
He calmed the unrest in my soul;
Proudly I became his leafy cloak,
But overconfidence took its toll

My sheltering oak had grown tired of me,
He released me and down I fell;
It was then I yearned to be a rose
Of great beauty and fragrant smell;
Why this vain choice?  Only Heaven knows!
What folly, but how was I to tell?

Along came the bees, then the butterflies,
And soon they drank my nectar dry,
Slowly I withered, then my head drooped,
The ingrates left me there to die;
O, to what wickedness they had stooped!
With lowered head, a worm I did spy

Calmly he laid upon the Earth's *****,
Then burrowed deep into the ground,
It opened its arms and welcomed him,
And therein he dwelt, safe and sound;
Being covered by soil seemed so grim,
Yet worth the contentment he had found

"That's it!" I cried, "I want to be a worm,
Hiding deep in my earthen lair,
Where soon I'll forget life's cruelty
And the torments that drove me there!"
And no one will come to look for me,
They might know I'm gone . .  but they won't care

Toward that mystic land of fond memories
I wandered alone at end of day;
Climbing well-known hills with sure-footed ease,
Down familiar paths I made my way

Through a schoolyard gate how quickly I ran
To greet dear friends that had blessed my youth;
To reclaim those happy hours was my plan,
But instead, I faced a bitter truth

As I glanced around me with childhood's eyes
I saw laughing faces everywhere,
I smiled and waved, only to realize
Of my presence they were unaware

Once again my thoughts carried me away
To where my sweet love and I once strolled,
Somewhere is that strange Land of Yesterday,
But his image refused to unfold

There alone I stood pondering my plight --
Where was the bright sunshine of my past?
Now, tightly bound by the dark threads of night,
Life had left me, helpless and downcast

I knew then the past must be laid to rest,
But what agony to my heart came!
How do I douse this fire within my breast?
O, winds of Time, please blow out the flame!

Truth has inflicted an egregious wound:
No more can I walk Yesterday's shore;
The roiling seas of life left me marooned,
Exiled to the Land of Nevermore

Foolish woman, trying to drown her distress,
She ambles down rainy streets alone;
Weary, she grapples with her loneliness,
Poor thing! she'll return drenched to the bone

There are feelings she finds hard to define ----
Walking in the rain helps clear her view;
Soon the proper words and cadence align,
And with verse she'll share her pain with you

Poems are a priceless commodity
That allow sorrow to be dispersed;
And you, loyal patron of her artistry,
Will read words in which you're well rehearsed

Once again, her tears will run down your face,
With closed eyes you will clearly review
All the memories her mind can't erase,
All because her poem spoke to you

If you were a bird, I would let you perch
Upon my shoulder, close to my ear;
Your feathery wings would caress my face
As your sweet song blessed the atmosphere

If you were a frog, I'd not seek a prince,
I'd love cradling you in my pocket!
Or, I might wrap you in lace, and then
Wear you close to my heart like a locket

If you were a bee buzzing 'round my head
I would let you nestle in my hair;
Deep in the night your honeyed kisses
Would transcend Heaven's ambrosial air

But it matters not your earthly facade,
You're the one who rules from my heart's throne;
Your seeds of love took root in my heart --
And so, you shall reap the love you've sown

I've never envied another woman
For her jewels or garments finely sewn,
But I can't conceal the envy I feel
Knowing she has love to call her own

To see her walking as though she had wings
On her feet makes me pause in wonder;
And hard though I try, I cannot deny
I envy this spell that she's under

Once an elderly couple caught my eye ---
A man and woman whose youth had flown,
But her countenance, in radiant trance,
Left no doubt his love was hers alone

What envy permeates my waking hours --
What vile winds across my heart have blown!
I don't ask for much - a man's tender touch,
Just a love that I can call my own

But lonely days and nights turned into years,
And O, how my restlessness has grown!
I fear I shall die without knowing why
I never had love to call my own