At the end of the well-trodden path
That I walk each lonely night,
A figure of ghostly pallor
Appeared in the moonlight

Sitting on the bench with lowered head,
His silver hair, streaked with gold
Fell forward, as hapless tears dropped --
A sad sight to behold

Dare I ask him why he sits alone
On a night so bleak and cold?
Dare I transgress his solitude
With inquiry so bold?

Somehow I found the courage to ask,
And he responded with scorn:
"If I were to die here tonight,
There'd be no one to mourn"

Seized with pity, I reached for his hands,
Gentler hands I've never known;
So warm and tender was his grasp,
Why was this man alone?

The air filled with panic as he spoke,
Like the cries of hunted birds;
Feeling defeated and hopeless,
Desolate were his words

He said it had been quite a long time
Since a woman held him tight;
I then drew him closer to me,
And held him through the night

First our breaths mingled, then our lips met,
My heart started beating fast,
His kiss tasted like vintage wine,
Thrilling me to the last

Silently we wallowed in our bliss,
How lucent the moon had grown;
Fate laid its hands upon our hearts --
The seeds of love were sown!

Hand in hand we left that lonely path,
Rewriting our destiny;
I knew I'd found a discarded jewel,
And took him home with me

I see you had nothing better to do
And decided to come for the tour,
Then please, do come in, and you will see
Just how much pain one heart can endure

Before we begin, I just want to say
For our tears, we must never feel shame;
Rather, let envy flare up toward those
Whose hearts were never burned by Love's flame!

Throughout the years, I've had to add more rooms
As my collection of sad tears grew;
This dark room holds Tears of Loneliness ---
They have stained the walls a somber hue

As you can see, the labels are varied:
Tears When He Left, Tears of Missing Him,
Tears From Nights I Prayed He Would Return,
Tears When I Remember  Kissing Him

And here in this back room are all the tears
That were cried with intense, searing pain
When I found the courage to admit
He would not be coming back again

In this little room are assorted tears ---
Tears of Forgiveness, Tears of Regret;
Strange!  Among my tears I've yet to find
One that ever helped me to forget

And in this room are the Tears of Pity
Friends have donated over the years;
Sometimes I come here, seeking comfort,
But friends have moved on - now no one hears

I seem to have misplaced my Tears of Joy,
A box so small, I tend to lose it;
But I don't care, it just collects dust,
Seldom, if ever, do I use it

And with this concludes our tour for today.
When you've nothing to do, please feel free
To come again, perhaps with a friend ........
New tears are added regularly

I run to my mailbox with hopeful heart,
No message today - (that dream fell apart);
I stay near the phone,  just in case it rings,
(Loneliness can cause us to do strange things)

Sometimes I awake at the break of day
Imagining passion's rapturous display,
A thrilling embrace, then a kiss divine,
(Nothing more than a mad fancy of mine)

But I've mastered ways to get through the day,
It's when the sun sets, my thoughts tend to stray;
With soft music playing on the stereo,
I fill my wine glass, then turn the lights low

Despair is at its worst when shadows fall,
And Loneliness makes my heart its port of call;
A restlessness has me pacing the room
As doleful thoughts take hold, worsening the gloom

While the usual anguish makes its rounds,
The night offers its mystery of sounds:
I'm sure I heard someone outside my door,
(No, 'twas just the wind howling, nothing more)

Wait! What's that tapping at my window pane?
O, it's Loneliness, pacing in the rain!
Come on in, old friend, come sit by my bed,
I'll get more wine - we've a long night ahead

I'm not surprised, I knew you'd come to call,
Unlike Love, you're in this for the long haul;
Morning already?  The sun seems so pale;
Well, I've things to do -- first I'll check my mail .........

Talk to me about your worries and fears,
What makes you anxious, and what provokes tears;
Who wrapped you in this shroud of misery?
It just might help if you'd share it with me

Tell me what caused you to wade sorrow's streams,
What troubles your day, and disrupts your dreams;
When your darkest thoughts come to cloud your view,
Say what's on your mind, I'll listen to you

I'll always be close by, just so you know,
When the sun's high, or when it's hanging low,
Always trying to change your gray sky to blue,
My attention is yours, I'll listen to you

And so we shall remain dearest of friends,
Staying the course, no matter how the road bends;
And when Fate looks upon us disdainfully,
I'll listen to you .... and trust you'll listen to me

What would my reaction be
If love appeared unexpectedly?
Would I be swept off my feet?
Would my glad heart skip a beat?
Or would I cower, then retreat?

Would my feet suddenly grow wings?
Might I utter foolish things,
And babble incessantly
Like a child with eager glee?
Might I become weak or giddy,
Provoking contempt or pity?

Would I think it's just a dream
Where fantasies reign supreme?
Would I find it quite sublime?
Or simply say "Well, it's about time!"
After waiting for love to appear,
Day after day, year after year

Would my face betray some doubt?
(Long ago, hope's flame burned out!)
Yet, passion still burns in my finger tips,
And desire, so fresh upon my lips

What would my reaction be
If love appeared unexpectedly?
I guess I'll just have to wait and see

It's a bit late now to search for flowers,
The summer is in retreat;
Soon the cold north winds will blow,
Carpeting the ground with snow,
As slurred prints betray my dragging feet

It's a bit too late now for dreaming,
I don't feel up to the task;
All my dreams have gone unsung,
Bitterness befouls my tongue,
At last, I see Life without its mask

It's a bit too late now to seek love,
I wouldn't know what to do;
Would I even recognize
That crown-jewel of Paradise?
How would I respond to "I love you?"

It's a bit late now to try and change
All the wrong this world contains;
I'll pass that torch to the young,
Now that my Swan Song's been sung,
And the life slowly creeps from my veins

It's a bit too late now for most things,
I've relinquished all to Fate;
Yet, I swear by all the stars above
I want to believe I may yet love!
But I won't ....... it's just a bit too late

This life's good enough for me,
My heart's happy and carefree;
A pleasant smile cast my way
Is enough to make my day

Or to see a daffodil
Swaying on some verdant hill
To beguiling melodies
Composed by the gypsy breeze,
That's enough to make me smile
And delight me for a while

Should a stranger tip his hat
And pause for a friendly chat,
I shall be grateful for that

Or if some tall shady tree
Spreads its arms to shelter me
From the sun's intensity,
Could a frown wrinkle my brow?
Surely not - at least not now!

Warbling birds and buzzing bees --
Two of Nature's symphonies,
How could this music not please?
And with Love close by my side,
I shall be quite satisfied

But should no one smile at me,
Nor one flower do I see,
And the stranger walks away
Without bidding me "Good day,"
If the birds forgot their song,
I'd forgive the silent throng,
If all Nature's wonders cease,
My gladness would not decrease,
For Love is life's true masterpiece!

So long as Love holds my hand,
I shall find life to be grand;
Though the gales blow wild and rough,
I'll know I've been blessed enough