As night spreads its ribbons of darkness
Loneliness taps at my window pane,
But too lost in reverie am I
To pay heed to its doleful refrain

Wishful thinking helps me to escape
From the madness of Life's fickle ways;
Though make-believe is a tangled web,
I thrive in its ethereal haze

How sweet the proverbial nectar
That flows from his lips onto mine;
What bliss I derive from a romance
Only my wild impulse could design

I swoon at his expressions of love
Sung and spoken in poetic verse;
(Though at times my heart scoffs at pretense,
Seeing not a  blessing, but a curse)

Yet, when I gaze deep into his eyes
I thrill to see love's reflection there;
He need only take hold of my hand
And together we climb Heaven's stair

O, how painful  are the loveless hours
Of reality I must endure;
In my dreary solitude I find
Wishful thinking holds a strange allure

Ah! but then reality holds sway ---
Once again the snake devours the dove;
But wishful thinking soon restores my peace
With its exquisite mimicry of love!

I'm needing you like a rose needs the rain  ---
Her relief from the sun's burning shawl;
In mute despair she implores the sky,
Begging mercy with her silent call;
And O, what joy when that errant cloud
Hovers o'er,  and the rain starts to fall!

I'm needing you like a bird needs its wings
To ascend to a loftier perch
To scan the skies for its missing mate
In its frantic and desperate search;
(When the object of worship is absent,
How meaningless the choir and the church)

I'm needing you like the tide needs the shore
To find respite from the raging sea;
O, I need you in so many ways --
This rant could go on endlessly;
But should these words fail in their intent . . .
How incompetent my poetry!

As clouds disperse along the eastern sky,
A reluctant sun slants its first ray;
No dew-kissed rose summons the thirsting bee,
Cheerless birdsong heralds the new day

How feeble and deficient this sunrise!
Once-resplendent beams now dimly glow,
And the bee, unable to sate his thirst,
To the wind murmurs his tale of woe

Nature's attuned to my pitiful plight --
(Love's absence disrupts life's harmony)
Though prayers prove fruitless, might Fate intercede . . .
Or is solitude my destiny?

What anxiety throbs within this breast!
(Once love and joy were the sole tenants)
Now, as I strain to hear love's distant voice,
Fear and doubt impose their harsh penance

Tendrils of gloom and desolation twist
'Round me tightly like a clinging vine,
Delivering a sense of foreboding --
Fear that love will never more be mine  

True, the future cannot be prophesied,
And so I keep vigil at Hope's gate;
Though doubt and despair mock my foolishness,
I've placed my trust in the hands of Fate

I scoffed at lovers playing their foolish games,
Driven to a frenzied state of mind,
"Come join us" they cried, "come fan passion's flames!"
But I declined

How I envied the hearts that love had healed
While my own heartaches I bravely masked;
If only my sad plight could be revealed . . .
But no one asked

Like tender warblings of amorous birds
Hope whispers sweet lies into my ear.
Still, Fate stubbornly withholds those three words
I long to hear

While tears may come easily, I refrain ---
How effective is this strategy?
Except for my heart, no one knows of my pain . . .
What irony!

Will Fate honor its debts long overdue?
Or are faith and hope but mockery
Of the worn-out promise that dreams do come true?
Then woe is me!

But too well I know I've myself to blame,
I scoffed at Love, now I'm paying the price;
Yet, it's hard to say who'll win at Love's game --
Fate rolls the dice!

The uncaring winds blow harshly now,
But there was a time they caressed me
As gently as love's kiss on my brow,
And O, how the  God of Love blessed me

Love's sweet offerings were mine to take,
Though at times deceit came in disguise;
But I endured it all for love's sake,
(Lover's choices are not always wise)

But those days have long since departed,
Love is but a transient memory;
By sorrow my course is now charted,
And my love-ship sails a lonely sea

Birdsong no longer delights my heart,
Children's laughter now fills me with rue;
But loneliness, being a newly-learned art,
Foretold the anguish that would ensue

Where are the dreams that once stirred in me?
Why do love poems now seem absurd?
I pray this not be my destiny . . .
Yet . . . the voice of Hope speaks not a word!

On that day he came to me
To sorrow I was bound,
Sailing without love's guiding star ---
What little joy I found

Cold and dismal was Hope's  lamp
Until he lit the flame,
What warmth and light surrounded me . . .
Then Heaven spoke my name!

Heaven heard my whispered pleas,
It saw the tears I cried,
It knew my heart's deepest desire . . .
My prayer was not denied

All my doubts  began to fade
Like dew upon the sea;
The latch was raised, the door swung wide . . .
The captive dove was free!

Free was I from doubt and gloom --
Free of fear's tyranny,
As angels strummed their golden lyres
In Divine harmony

Strange, indeed, the power of love ---
A glorious mystery!
My thankful heart will always bless
That day he came to me

A woman's forgiveness, desperately sought
By a man whose rash decision proved unwise;
But mercy's denied - there'll be no second chance.
What a sad account of love's demise!

So goes the tale of two shadows on the wall
That come to life as day draws to a close:
A remorseful man offers a woman
His atonement with a tear-stained rose

She extends her hand, but then withdraws . . .
What he reveals breaks her heart in two;
The man she loves has betrayed her trust,
He's confessed to having been untrue

Uncontrolled tears cascade down her face,
Her hands helplessly fall to her side;
His outstretched arms beg her forgiveness,
But she recoils . . . O, **** her foolish pride!

Discourse ensues amidst sobbing and tears,
Raising her arm, she gestures toward the door;
With lowered  head he reluctantly leaves,
And the tainted rose falls to the floor

There's a lesson to be learned from this tale:
At some point we're all brought to our knees,
Seeking pardon for senseless things we've done
Because of our innate frailties

So offer forgiveness when loved ones repent,
Forgive friends their insensitive rants;
And don't hesitate to forgive yourself . . .
Everyone deserves a second chance!