For those of you who've had more than your share
Of Life's wrath, I raise my glass of false cheer!
Join me in a toast to Fate, if you dare
(But don 't appease it by shedding a tear)

Though Fate chose to look on us with disdain
Don't let its wicked pranks obscure your mind;
Each morning a new sun rises again --
Another chance to leave your woes behind

Always keep in mind Fate may smile on you
And on your shoulders lay its golden shroud;
But be prepared, should all this prove untrue
And the dawn offers yet another cloud

We who have nothing, not even Love's touch,
Crippled, we slowly limp toward the abyss,
Frantically seeking a lifeline to clutch,
All the while awaiting Death's frightful kiss

You who have never found favor with Fate
In this jungle of misery and rue,
It is your misfortune I celebrate,
For your failure has been my failing, too;
But rest assured, all suffering will abate
When in Death's embrace we bid Life adieu!

If you care for someone, let them know,
Release Love's light, let it cast its glow;
This sacred fire was meant to be shared
So a heart in torment might be spared;
(How tragic when love goes undeclared!)

That flame of Love that is burning bright
Might fill someone's heart with hope tonight;
The roiling winds of despair will shift
When Love's guiding light presents its gift
To the unmoored heart floating adrift

Only Love can comfort and repair
A broken heart shattered by despair;
Love will rekindle the dying fire
Of mislaid dreams and hopeless desire,
As angels strike up the sacred lyre

But it is your love that writes the hymn,
Bringing light to eyes that have grown dim;
Rest assured your blessings will accrue!
Your days will wear a heavenly hue
When love you give is returned to you

Suddenly it's all over .....
The feeling that only Love can bring;
Feet that once strolled through clover
Now tread thorns, bemoaning their cruel sting

The moon on its silver throne
Trembles as Love's pledges are broken;
What seeds of distress are sown
As Love's final farewell is spoken!

Songbirds that thrilled captive ears
While warbling a lover's serenade,
Now provoke unhappy tears
As the Light of Love begins to fade

Loving eyes that beamed with hope
Now bespeak a grim reality,
Solace lies beyond their scope
Since Fate issued its brutal decree!

Star-filled skies adorn the night
As the moon announces day is done;
Sadly, Love turns out the light,
And two hearts no longer beat as one

Don't sing idle love songs into the wind --
A distraught heart might be lurking near;
How awkward when you attempt to rescind
Loving words they were not meant to hear

Tread lightly lest you awaken the beast
That's held captive in some desperate heart,
When from its ******* Hope has been released,
It becomes fair game for Cupid's dart

Those crumbs of Love you've capriciously tossed
Might be hungrily devoured in haste;
Once that bridge to Paradise has been crossed,
O, what pain when steps must be retraced

Exercise due caution when you declare
Unwavering love to a forlorn heart;
Deceitful words, though delivered with flair,
Carry the sting of a poisoned dart

Words of love are the messengers of hope
That allow earthbound hearts to take flight;
But lies and deceit weave the fatal rope
That binds lonely hearts to their sad plight

Bravely the sun announces night has flown,
Its blinding rays far and wide it casts;
Reluctantly the moon descends its throne .......
Nothing lasts

Contentedly you'll hear the robin sing,
Her egg-filled nest she proudly broadcasts,
Then one sad morning her fledglings take wing .......
Nothing lasts

The withered rose that once nourished the bees
Now treats them like bewildered outcasts,
Her drops of nectar no longer appease .......
Nothing lasts

Sad hearts rejoice when Love knocks at their door,
So glad to forget their shattered pasts;
Soon they're holding hands with despair once more .......
Nothing lasts

For some, life holds honey;  for others, rue,
And then suddenly the trumpet blasts,
The Angel of Death comes to claim his due .......
Nothing lasts

Some dedicate a lifetime to wealth gain,
But I find such pursuits to be quite vain;
From Fortune's footpath I would gladly stray
If only to know love at end of day

Just one love to fill all my lonely hours --
To scoff at solitude's crumbling towers;
I'd be like raw clay in the potter's hands,
Waiting to be molded to his demands

I'd guide the weary drifter to my shore
Where he'd find wondrous regions to explore;
Through Winter's wrath he'd feel the breath of Spring,
On my deserted isle he would be king

I'd be his starlight and his morning sun
And assure him his wandering days were done;
So in my dark despair I beg of Fate
To send Love and re-open Eden's gate

And this time there'd be no forbidden tree,
Our love would change the course of destiny;
For when the Garden of Love has flowered,
Its tempting fruits are meant to be devoured

Life would be a bouquet of poetry,
And the song of the birds a symphony;
The simplest things in life would be divine .......
If only, O, if only love were mine!

Some dedicate a lifetime to wealth gain,
But I find such pursuits to be quite vain;
From Fortune's footpath I would gladly stray
If only to know love at end of day

Just one love to fill all my lonely hours --
To scoff at solitude's crumbling towers;
I'd be like raw clay in the potter's hands,
Waiting to be molded to his demands

I'd guide the weary drifter to my shore
Where he'd find wondrous regions to explore;
Through Winter's wrath he'd feel the breath of Spring,
On my deserted isle he would be king

I'd be his starlight and his morning sun
And assure him his wandering days were done;
So in my dark despair I beg of Fate
To send Love and re-open Eden's gate

And this time there'd be no forbidden tree,
Our love would change the course of destiny;
For when the Garden of Love has flowered,
Its tempting fruits are meant to be devoured

Life would be a bouquet of poetry,
And the song of the birds a symphony;
The simplest things in life would be divine .......
If only, O, if only love were mine!