Throughout the years friends have been few,
(But when loyal, one friend will do;)
I never got close enough to make foes,
'I kept my distance' - as the saying goes

No birds, cats or dogs live in my house,
And I hesitate to count that mouse
That I've seen scampering down the hall.
(How dare he breach my castle wall!)
I fear he soon will  have a mishap . . .
Morning will find him dead in the trap.

But what resentment swells inside me
Thinking of all that's been denied me:
True love, contentment, happiness,
A hand to hold, a warm caress,
The passion with which I long to be kissed . . .
Alas! I've none of these treasures to list.
Such poverty I'm ashamed to declare,
My heart is starving . . . the cupboard is bare

Well, I guess my inventory's complete,
A grim tally, more sorrowful than sweet;
Ah, but then what right have I to complain?
I've a vast surplus of sorrow and pain,
A broken heart and buckets filled with tears . . .
What a stockpile I've amassed o'er the years!

But if Fate could rewrite my Book of Days
Changing these tears to laughter and bouquets,
This dreary house, haunted by lonely hours
Would be a dwelling filled with mirth and flowers

I sense the raging fury of a storm  
That's unfolding as dark clouds gather;  
Hold me close,  and talk to me of love,    
Or sing me a song, if you'd rather  

Just as the bee hums his serenade
To the rose that waits in solitude,
Hover over me, and sing your song,
Talk to me of love ..... I'm in the mood  

Talk to me of love, have you not seen
Angels straining when you whisper low?
Though divine, they cannot comprehend
How my roses blossom in the snow

Through torrential rains my sun still shines,
Rainbows stretch across my midnight sky;
Love's gifts dismiss time and circumstance,
Baffled Angels don't know how or why

How can words of love possess such power?
If true love is what the heart dictates,
Then the words that flow are absolute --
Just watch as they trample Heaven's gates

And together, boldly we enter
To join the blest throngs that dwell above;
It is on such nights that I rejoice --
When you whisper your sweet words of love!

Wait no longer, talk to me of love,
Profound feelings come to torture me:
Abandonment, loneliness, then tears --
A foreboding of calamity

And here it is ......  the warble of a bird --
Now my eyes perceive the dawn's first beam;
I don't want to hear what's coming next .....
"Wake up, Lora, this was but a dream!"

Everchanging winds of discontent
Paint temptation an alluring hue;
Gilded words softly caress my ear --
O, what anxious impulses ensue!
But then something draws me back to you

Sweetest intimations tease my heart,
Drenching my thoughts like the morning's dew;
Invitations to romance entice . . .
Dare I venture down this avenue?
Certainly not!  let this thought pass through!

The flames of temptation stoke desires
That only fealty's promise can subdue;
But the embers must not be ignored --
If unguarded,  they'll blaze up anew
And soon unfaithfulness makes its debut

Lips that have been parched by burning sighs
Quiver when a fount comes into view;
How ardently I could quench my thirst,
How inviting this seductive brew . . .
But then something draws me back  to you

Temptation exudes such sweet perfume ---
How easily a vow can go askew;
But the door to my heart is secure,
And my conscience remains free of rue . . .
Your love's tender power binds me to you

I stood in awe of the sunset
Watching its rare beauty unfold,
Ray by ray, heavenly hues changed
From orange, to crimson, to gold

I saw silhouettes of leafless trees
Raising their bare arms to the sky,
As if to praise some entity ---
Or perhaps preparing to die

For all living things must succumb
Sooner or later ....... it's destiny;
Suddenly I saw the reason
We surrender so willingly

Now it was starting to make sense --
The crucial role Misery plays;
Might it be an act of mercy
That pain and sorrow fills our days?

Flora and fauna share the same fate
As does every being on Earth;
Predators, drought, sickness and blight
Stalk us from the moment of birth

Would any of us welcome Death
If our domain were Paradise?
How could we forsake happiness
If sad tears never blurred our eyes?

Knowing the anguish of loneliness .....
Constant, unsubdued by time;
Dour pain - mental and physical -
All the while faint bells of hope chime

Hope - that vain and fruitless longing
That augments our pain 'til we break,
Finally leaving us to welcome
That impending trip we'll all take

Weak and tired we concede defeat,
And with our last breath we implore
Death's guidance across Life's threshold,
And down that divine corridor

How we welcome this departure
As from pain and suffering we flee;
But what angst we'd feel leaving Eden .......
So I'm thankful for Misery!

Winter has settled in my garden,
Why did I not see the frost arrive?
Ashamed, I begged the flowers' pardon,
But the roses are barely alive

As I lift each flower, the petals fall
Upon the ground that once nurtured them;
Summer's calm became a wintry squall,
A chilling frost has weakened the stem

And now the ground is covered in ice,
The tender buds have withered and died;
For what purpose was their sacrifice?
Such loathsome things leave me mystified!

My heart has not shifted its season,
Steady in its clime it still remains,
Love's broken promise - the heart's treason -
Caused the killing frost and icy rains

Witnessing my joy and grief collide,
Swift-winged angels urged me to depart
This garden where once love had denied
Loneliness admittance to my heart

Why does the refulgent moon still crest
O'er that path where I first touched his face?
Where even Death would be deemed a guest
Were I to expire in Love's embrace

But to that garden I'll not return,
I've locked the gate and destroyed the key;
Time will quell my longings as they churn,
Time will heal this searing agony

Love has turned me bitter, though more wise,
Yet, the wisdom of love comes too late:
Each night, waiting for the moon to rise,
Darkness finds me standing at that gate

Why does the abandoned heart keep loving,
Though there is no love being returned?
Because it was taught love is forever,
And love's lessons cannot be unlearned

Why does the abandoned heart keep beating,
Sustained only by a memory?
Because it must believe love will return,
And will wait forever, if need be

Why does the abandoned heart still insist
None but this love will ever suffice?
Because only this love carries the key
That unlocks the gate to paradise

Few are the times Love knocked at my door,
     but they've all escaped my memory;
No enchanting poems stirred in my core --
No grand tributes to Love's mystery

But when despair extinguishes hope's flame,
     what salient words drip from my pen;
It's then that my heart, wounded and lame,
     unveils its poetic acumen

Is this why misery commands free rein ---
     just to appease Fate's poetic lust?
The tyranny of anguish and pain
     gives hesitant verse that final ******

Try to visualize agony pent
     in the depths of a desolate heart;
Now sketch the face of that vile torment . . .
Soon the pain becomes a work of art

Too often deceitful hearts will lure
     trusting hearts, blinding them with false love;
Great is the anguish they must endure . . .
     but it's the poems that I'm thinking of!

Passion-filled verses mix and combine
     like the paints in a grand masterpiece
     when the shattered heart tries to confine
     rage and bitterness seeking release
    
And yet, Love that survives Fate's brutal shove ---
The fortress that refuses to fall ---
Those words that proclaim undying love
     become the grandest poems of all!

As night descends it brings foreboding,
And right on cue, here comes the fear;
What will I do when the clock strikes twelve --
When it's midnight, and he's not here

Night after night, the same scene unfolds,
Misery, why do you loiter near?
The starless ceiling of black and gray
Steadily falls, and he's not here

Not a thousand stars falling to Earth,
Nor the moon whispering in my ear
Could free me of the impending doom
Of the twelfth hour,  if he's not here

What agony! will God hear my prayer,
Or into my heart ****** a spear?
The hour hand of the clock slowly crawls ...
Nearing midnight .... but he's not here

But the fount of mercy doesn't flow,
My bitter cup, devoid of cheer;
As I draw the drapes, here comes the storm,
Midnight arrives, and he's not here

The clock's message echoes through the night,
Trying to provoke one more tear;
The steady ticking tells me that he's
Not here ..... not here ..... not here .....

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

When the sun waves farewell, I'll keep my rendezvous
With my love, in a sanctum well-hidden from view;
To the Tower of Happiness together we'll climb,
It won't be long now, it's just a matter of time

And I toss and I turn with such anxious despair,
Then sleep overtakes, and I find him waiting there,
Taking me in his arms, our love unfolds once more,
One kiss is all it takes to unlock Heaven's door

The longing in his eyes stirs the depths of my soul,
And so to love's edicts I relinquish control,
For all is possible when love's born of a dream --
The lovers dictate the rules and fashion the scheme

And love governs the night, with not a word spoken,
Till the sun claps its hands, and the spell is broken;
As I watch the darkness quickly slipping away,
I implore the moon's aid, and beg the night to stay

But their task has ended --- there are laws to obey,
And how I tremble seeing the first light of day;
Alone once more, awakened from my fantasy
I pray: Take the night, but don't take my dreams from me!

But I know that tonight when the stars fill the sky,
We'll be together once again, my love and I;
For all dreamers have an hour when they quietly stray
To their own magic realm, and love the night away

As I watch Autumn glide into Winter,
Sparse are the fond memories I invoke,
Just a fragment here, and there a splinter,
But Love left not one ember to stoke

Hopes and dreams that held promises of Love
Hang like withered fruits upon the vine;
And my heart, like the solitary dove,
Mourns for the love that never was mine

As the hourglass marks the eleventh hour
I watch anxiously as the sand falls;
Loneliness wields its consummate power
While Death impatiently walks the halls

Is there time to right this egregious wrong ---
Will Fate discipline its heart of stone?
Before the last refrains of my swan song
Might I yet ascend Love's golden throne?

Only Fate foreknows all that's yet to be,
But it has no voice with which to speak;
Silently it walks toward eternity
Veiling the havoc it may yet wreak

If only to alter Fate's fickle mind
And beg Time to walk a slower pace,
The days yet to come might be redesigned
To show me a more merciful face

And each path I take might be strewn with flowers,
When I bet on Love, I just might win .......
Ah, what futile dreams fill these lonely hours,
Trying to calm the churning hell within!

Life is not perfect, it has its flaws,
And flows with restricted efficiency;
Once in a while, it will bend the laws
To compensate for some deficiency

At times, Life will send torments our way,
(For which it should humbly beg our pardon)
Gladly we forgive such vile display
When we find love growing in our garden

We dance to some unknown rhapsody,
While Life's hands are positioned on the keys;
We think we compose the melody,
But Life will play only what it shall please

Life is a gamble we seldom win,
Though we have no choice but to play the game,
The cards are dealt, the wheel starts to spin .....
Will triumph be ours, or a loser's shame?

Dubious is the motive for this game,
Yet, we follow the rules most ardently;
Always seeking the elusive flame
That reveals the purpose of you and me

In darkness, we blindly tread thin ice,
Where underneath a rough sea is churning;
Though our instinct murmurs sound advice,
The ***** of hope nurses our yearning

Know this!  God's secrets will not be learned,
Though foolish hearts beseech the realm above;
But when the last page of Life is turned,
We'll find all that really mattered was Love!

No one lives in this house anymore,
Long vacant, it fell into decay;
Once occupied by two loving hearts,
Now distant,  each gone its own way

Shall I tell you of the blissful nights
And days rich with joyous harmony??
If a tear or two runs down your cheek,
Feel no shame, weep along with me

I scarce can speak of things I have seen
Without tears welling in my eyes,
But was this not easy to predict,
Walking through the ruins of Paradise?

Try to imagine love's warming light
Spilling forth from each window pane;
Never mind the snow upon the sill,
Nor the gales that foretold pounding rain

This house had withstood many a storm,
This fortress with its stanchions of love;
Who knew that Fate would come blast the ledge,
Tumbling  it from its base with one shove!

Come, let's walk the garden one last time,
Does the silence not cause you to grieve?
The birds have left, not a flower blooms . . .
Perhaps it's best that we, too, should leave

I blow the coals, but they will not blaze,
Cold ashes upon a dead hearth lay
(How futile is the battle we wage
Against Fate, for it will have its way)

No one lives in this house anymore,
The window panes are cracked and broken;
The orchard is overrun with rot,
Love's final words have been spoken

The sun has deserted my sky,
Alas! not one beam will descend
To comfort me when chilling gales
Cause the fragile grasses to bend

And the wind seems preoccupied --
But what could it be thinking of?
I swear I heard it whispering:
"Tell me, Lady, where is your love?"

Please don't ask, but help dry my tears
Before night unfurls its cover,
Lest some rude star dares to inquire:
"O Lady, where is your lover?"

The restless moon's searching in vain
For two lovers veiled from his view;
He seeks the Lady and her love,
But tonight I walk without you

Was ours a love too beautiful,
Perhaps taunting the ire of Fate?
O, why did God exile our hearts
From Paradise and lock the gate?

Crashing thunder peals through the clouds,
The wind's moving with dauntless might;
No rainbow will follow this storm . . .
The Lady lost her love tonight

Her poems paint a self-portrait
Of a face she hides from the world;
Secrets well-guarded, slowly revealed,
Each line a new chapter unfurled

Every word that drips from her pen
Is likened to paint on the knife;
From sunlit paths that lead to dark caves,
She paints the story of her life

Stroke after stroke the words are placed
Upon the warped canvas of time;
The torment that each lonely day brings
Urges her to dress it in rhyme

Are lonely days not punishment
Enough for this painter of verse?
Yet, night only grants her fitful sleep
As her woes refuse to disperse

O, painter of a thousand words,
Your cruel fate has taken its toll,
Leaving you to walk this Earth alone
With weary heart and sick of soul

With open eyes she lays dreaming
Of the day love will grace each dawn;
Little does she know her fate is sealed:
Long ago her portrait was drawn

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

Once again I'm sailing alone at dusk,
No companion to help rig the mast;
So much pain accrued in my solitude,
The lonely hour approaches fast

Gathering clouds conceal the moon's bright glow,
Now I know all too well what this means,
The dark shadows fall, then I hear the call ......
The Court of Loneliness convenes

I see the stars lighting the firmament,
Yet, where I dwell, all is bleak and dour;
With my heartstrings torn, and my life forlorn,
No beacon lights my lonely hour

Was ever a chain of woe forged so strong .....
How did loneliness acquire such power?
The clock chimes, but how strange - time does not change,
Once again it's the lonely hour

I'm lost in a forest of broken dreams,
Searching for Love's enchanted bower;
Then, in the distance, with dark persistence,
A bell tolls the lonely hour

Is there no escape, no place I can hide!
Why do bells toll from every tower?
How can I forget what comes at sunset ......
The torment of the lonely hour!

I was awakened from a restless sleep
By a spectre at the foot of my bed;
The curtains were parted, the moon shone bright
Forming a halo around his head

There was a strange familiarity,
And boldly I bid him come nearer,
That look of anguish, those desolate eyes --
Things I've often seen in my mirror

What pity I felt for this transient guest
With the moonlight on him overspread,
He said not a word, but I seemed to know
Why he stood at the foot of my bed

I extended my arms and drew him close
And held him while he cried through the night;
Obeying the sun, the moon summoned the stars,
And with dawn's first rays they all took flight

Once again a new day found me alone,
But what strange thoughts circled 'round my head:
Had I been dreaming, or had there indeed
Appeared this phantom beside my bed?

There was a presence in my room that night ---
The Spirit of Love's longed-for caress;
And the pillow under my head was moist
With tears of defeat and hopelessness.
So throbs the deep wound of Reality . . .
I'd been embracing my own loneliness!

A little lady cardinal
One morning perched upon my deck,
Spying the seeds I had placed there,
Hungrily, she began to peck

Soon she was joined by her lover,
With his "tweetheart" he came to dine;
What a lovely couple they made,
Standing there underneath the pine

I stood in awe of their courtship,
Then came a moment of mystique --
Lovingly, he took a peanut
And gently placed it in her beak

His wing lifted to caress her,
So much in love they seemed to be;
Tears started to well in my eyes,
Seeing love's pure simplicity

Suddenly, there appeared a hawk,
A dark shadow touring the sky,
All chirping hushed, fear filled the air,
And then sounded the warning cry

All the birds in the area
Sought trees, left and right they did veer,
But little lady cardinal
Just sat there, paralyzed with fear

Death was gliding on wings outspread,
Lady cardinal in his sight;
Then down he swooped to claim his prize,
Suddenly her lover took flight

Up he flew into death's cold grasp,
Downward fluttered a tattered wing;
Satisfied with his handsome catch,
The hawk soared away, revelling

The red bird gave his life for love,
But his bravery was not in vain,
Each dawn finds his lady grieving,
Singing for him her sad refrain

My tears greet each unwelcome day,
Blurring the sun's first golden ray.
While dead dreams submit to decay,
Hopelessness binds my heart like a glove.
And you bear the blame, capricious Love!

At times you draw near just to tease,
Torturing me by slow degrees,
Leaving my poor heart ill at ease,
Till tears are all I'm capable of.
What anguish you cause me, shameless Love!

You take delight, or so it seems,
Shattering my most precious dreams,
Leaving me to wade sorrow's streams.
Never will you soar with the pure dove ---
Tarnished are your wings, deceitful Love!

Fickle Love,  God's laws you defile
With your demons of falsehood and guile;
Send those cursed flaws into exile!
Grant all lovers what their hearts dream of:
Your cherished counterpart . . . sincere Love

When loneliness whispers too loud,
And despair wraps me in its shroud,
With folded hands and my head bowed
It is then I plead with Heav'n above:
Teach me the words that summon true Love!

Yet, when Love's disguised as a lie,
Who'll dare to renounce it?  Not I!
I'll press on with hope and a sigh,
Giving doubt and common sense a shove.
For Love in all its facets is still Love!

From the cold marble tower of loneliness
I gaze at the moon, my loyal sentry;
Then dreams of love tap at the window pane,
And too willingly I grant them entry

Why does the moon frown in disappointment
And let passing clouds take him from my sight?
Does he not know my pain of solitude
Is far too great to bear alone this night?

As bells labor to announce the twelfth hour,
Loneliness comes scattering its ****** seed,
Yet, the blessed harvest of fantasies
That follow, bring comfort, sating my need

A touch, a kiss, his heart pressed against mine,
Once more, loving arms become my prison;
My darkened realm glows with the light of love
Until the morning's first rays have risen

But how could the moon ever understand
The pain and longings of the human heart?
If he could but dwell in this anguished frame,
Would he, too, not dream, holding dear this art?

So I lay here each night with heart forlorn
Trying to explain to the moon my plight,
Waiting for fantasies to take my hand
As together we fly into the night

Come back, old Moon, and keep me company,
Be my light as the shadows come and go,
Watch me weave this sadness into a dream
While the rivers of sweet illusions flow!

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!

Two hearts bond to form a single love,
Two joined spirits cannot be undone,
Two souls mingle, forever entwined,
Two bodies unite, becoming one

Love is the strangest of all studies
That ever existed 'neath the sun,
For only in equations concerning love
Does one plus one equal one!

Sometimes when I find I can't keep pace
With Life's demands and its treachery,
I seek refuge in my favorite place . . .
The other side of reality

What joy when my daydreams carry me
Like a hungry lion to its lair,
Into that land where passion runs free
And wild fantasies lurk everywhere

I can soar the heavens with the birds,
Or seek loving arms when nights are cold;
(You'll soon learn from my poetic words
My daydreams reveal desires quite bold)

O, how Love's fantasies flood this realm ---
Cupid flings his darts most recklessly!
Misery relinquishes the helm
Leaving me to drift Love's placid sea

And loneliness dares not trespass here
On this hallowed ground that Love has blest;
Though happiness wears a thin veneer,
Daydreams calm the heart's deepest unrest

So I flee to where elusive dreams  
Unfold their wings with temerity,
And I sate my thirst from Love's pure streams . . .
The other side of reality

Tonight I'll wait to see the moon's face
Hovering above that cypress tree;
Then I'll drift off to my favorite place .....
The other side of reality

Into that land where passion runs free,
And wild fantasies lurk everywhere;
My body goes limp .... Love carries me
Like a hungry lion to its lair

I'm held captive, unable to flee,
But not one complaint do I proclaim;
Love fans the embers of fantasy,
And suddenly my heart is aflame

Soon the flames are enkindling two hearts,
An embrace and a kiss enchant me;
At last Cupid's free to throw his darts,
(A fantasy day cannot grant me!)

Phantom love flourishes in the dark
Where truth cannot invade its domain;
My hunger for love has lit the spark --
Now my spirit seeks this astral plane

Where do I go when I fall asleep?
Surely, the Edge of Eternity!
And so among the shadows I creep,
Where Love dispels its uncertainty

My worldly possessions are meager,
In this life I'm but a poor renter;
Is it shocking that I'm so eager
Through this blest passageway to enter!

If Love cannot find me in the light,
Then let my eyes permanently close;
Loneliness is banished from my sight
While my eyes are shut in sweet repose

So let me dwell where day's dormant dreams
Can awaken with temerity,
And woes are drowned in Love's sparkling streams ....
The other side of reality

At daybreak I awoke alone
With a sadness I could not quell,
Without a love to call my own,
And now, morning's waving farewell

No one pitied the tears that flowed,
Not one word cheered my dreary day;
Alone I walked this lonely road,
Watching the noon hours fade away

No one held me close to his heart,
No one looked at me lovingly;
No chance this pain will soon depart
Now that evening has been set free

To my lips no kiss found its way,
Alone I watched the setting sun;
No one said he loved me today,
And now ..... the day is done

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

If you've grown weary of my love, just go!
You need no excuse clever or cunning;
But should your cup of loneliness overflow,
Just call my name, you know I'll come running

Your love is weak, it leaves me needing more --
Like a skiff with no breeze to fill its sail,
A seashell washed up on a lonely shore;
But should you need me, just call - I'll not fail

In love there's no common sense or reason,
And there are no rules to which Love adheres;
Too often, dazzled hearts witness treason,
And the fairytale always ends in tears

Love is a strange song, sung in many keys,
Righteous or false,  Love is the staff of life;  
Just see how quickly we're brought to our knees
When Loneliness plunges its frigid knife!

So bring me your love, unfaithful or true,
It matters not if it's rough or tender;
In your arms let me greet dawn's rosy hue --
Then mock if you must my self-surrender

When reality chills me to the bone,
The embers of make-believe are fanned,
Sitting on my garden bench alone,
Tightly I cling to a phantom hand

I sing words of love into the air,
Then wait for their echo to return;
My heart hears a love song, rich and rare,
Soon Love's cooling embers start to burn

I'll not despair, though he's far away,
(Miles of land and sea keep us apart)
No triumphant role does distance play --
In his spirit hands he holds my heart

And when the midnight hour is announced
By a distant bell, my yearnings flare;
Each need and desire is more pronounced
By every chime that pulsates the air

It is then I hasten to my bed
Where my spirit companion awaits;
With every embrace my passion's fed,
Each kiss brings me nearer Heaven's gates

Whispering "I love you" through the night,
I pretend my darling can hear me;
Yet when my eyes absorb dawn's first light,
Sadly, I never find him near me

But I'll cling fast to these wayward dreams
That direct my footsteps as they wend
Past the roiling swells of sorrow's streams,
Into that golden Realm of Pretend

Our love came like a bolt from the blue
And rocked our hearts like a storm-tossed boat,
And to Heaven my lips gave thanks . . . but you --
You sketched a disturbing anecdote:

"As time passes, how can we be sure
That our love is as strong as today?"
O, what dire torment the mind must endure
If simple signs fail to light the way

Rest assured there is a foolproof test
Should one of us doubt the other's love,
Or if upon both hearts there come to rest
Strong forebodings, or traces thereof:

When we're in each other's company,
Should our thoughts drift to another place,
And the hours seem to drag on endlessly . . .
Love is loosening its firm embrace

When thoughts of you don't quicken my heart,
And thoughts of me don't bring you delight,
When we get the sense we're drifting apart . . .
Our love is preparing to take flight

When my eyes no longer speak to you,
And your kiss is easily denied,
When we behave as fickle friends might do . . .
It is then we'll know our love has died

Love is as fleeting as the moment
It makes its introduction,
Stirring the heart, and clouding the mind
With intoxicating seduction

Love breathes life into the dying heart
That loneliness turned to ice,
Then after reviving it, Love flees,
And the heart must pay the traitor's price

Love is a dangerous addiction
That can bring us to our knees;
And if deprived of Love for too long,
Once again our hearts shiver and freeze

Love is a merciless tormentor
That will take us to the brink
Of misery, and even madness,
Yet, from Love's cup we'll beg one more drink

Love that behaved as our dearest friend
Can suddenly become foe,
Conjuring up long-forgotten pain,
Delivering unbearable woe

But Love, who would not suffer for you?
We deign to play by your rules;
We choose a card, then roll the dice,
While Love laughs, watching us play the fools

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

When sad, empty eyes chance to rest upon
Other eyes fixed in a hopeless gaze,
What sweet fantasies overrun the mind--
Navigating love's enchanting maze

How the pulse quickens when love is the prize,
Like dried kindling, hope begins to burn;
But what pain when one heart greedily feasts,
And for the other shows no concern

What a dilemma when only one heart
Lights the darkness with love's burning flame;
Merciless anguish does not spare the rod
When Love's endeavor is put to shame

For what is the mainstay of caring hearts
If not love that's given in return?
Just as a candle's flame must extinguish
When there remains no wick left to burn

I've heard it said love begets love, and yet
Love's hunger still courses through my veins;
So my starving heart forages for crumbs
In Love's graveyard of decaying  remains

Unrequited love always takes its toll --
A forbidding toll each heart must pay;
Love cannot survive without sustenance,
Weakened by neglect, it fades away

As twilight's deep shadows were falling,
A spirit voice whispered in my ear
A message that I found most enthralling,
Which I'll now repeat for all to hear:

"Love is a treasure we must cherish
Above all else, lest it soon be lost
Among baubles and gemstones most garish,
And fool's gold that was not worth the cost

Unlike diamonds, Love does not glisten,
Yet what radiance beams from tear-filled eyes
As desolate hearts eagerly listen
To Love's gentle whisperings and sighs

Love is a divine commodity ---
Inexplicable is its power,
As baffling as an ancient mystery,
Bringing joy to each waking hour

Cling tightly to this treasure called Love ---
Unequaled is the bliss that it brings,
For its value is rated well above
All the gaudy wealth of queens and kings

If bejeweled fingers fill your glove,
Cast aside these trifling, worthless themes;
Set your sights on the riches forged from Love . . .
You'll know wealth beyond your wildest dreams"

See those stars twinkling so high in the skies?
Some are sad stars trying to avert their eyes,
They've observed lovers who have parted ways,
To keep from crying, they must turn their gaze

And those stars displaying faint hues of red .....
Don't know if it's true, but I've heard it said
Love songs and poems tend to make them cry,
And cause these soulful stars to blush and sigh

Now each star's assigned a task to perform,
To create galaxies, many must swarm;
Stars must grant favors when they're wished upon,
Should they fail their tasks, their light soon grows wan

And such stars will be expelled from their berth,
The Lord God sends them careening toward Earth;
It's not clear what offense they've committed,
Perhaps they were lax, or just dimwitted

But how lucky is the star that hovers
And twinkles in the bright eyes of lovers!
Their satisfying task never grows old,
(With stars in our eyes, love never grows cold)

If love has found you, then you have been blessed.
If you're still searching, don't give up the quest;
And when love tears down despair's prison bars,
Don't forget to thank your lucky stars!

The moon stands vigil as the wine prepares
To perform its secret ministry;
Well rehearsed, the sacred nectar obeys,
Raising the floodgates of memory

Love's smoldering ashes start to ignite ---
One more sip, and then the flame's aglow;
Intoxicating specters flood the room --
O, what sorcery . . . let the wine flow!

Hands that deliver torment with each touch
Guide me slowly into heaven's arms;
Passion flares, and as our lips combine
I yield to the wine's spellbinding charms

So the hours pass in shameless ecstasy
In the darkened nooks of Memory's Hall;
But the wine is dwindling  . . . it's almost gone,
Soon reality's curtain must fall

And dawn arrives spewing its harsh advice:
Abandon this trickery of the wine!
But dusk will bear witness to my heart's plea:
Sweet libation, make this night divine!

And so this strange ritual has sustained me
Through many godforsaken Decembers;
But should Time erode flakes of memory,
I'll not worry . . . the wine remembers

I don't need the night to think of you,
And yet, when the sun's rays decline,
Suppressed memories make their debut
As my lips are moistened by the wine

Two ruby glasses sit on the sill,
(I fill your glass as if you were still here)
Into this red ink I dip my quill,
Resurrecting memories from their bier

Slowly I sip, alone in the dark,
While raking through the dying embers
Of memories, hoping just a spark
Will ignite as the wine remembers

A shadow moves across the wall,
One more sip .... now the flame's aglow,
Ghosts of love harken to the wine's call,
Passion has been stirred, let the wine flow!

I feel your breath, I can hear you sigh
As you gently take me in your arms,
Your trembling hand caresses my thigh,
The blessed wine is weaving its charms

To what depths will this sorcery go?
Shall I submit, or recoil in fear?
Must I dwell 'neath winter's dreadful snow .....
Or let you hold me treacherously near!

But soon the final sip will be drawn,
Then the wine will mock my aching heart,
All too soon you'll fade into the dawn,
Please, one last kiss before you depart

O, the wine imposes heavy dues!
With each sip, I'm deeper in its debt,
The wine remembers, but I must choose .....
Has the time come for us to forget?

How callously this day has come and gone,
Though hoped for, no gifts did it bring to me;
The sun reluctantly announced the dawn,
Not one bird could I find to sing to me

No matter the path, I walked it in vain,
No one offered a kind word nor a smile,
A cheerful spirit was hard to maintain
And became burdensome after a while

Strolling my garden I sought solace there,
While gathering roses, thorns pricked my finger,
Hopelessness and woe hung thick in the air,
With dusk at hand, I chose not to linger

O, the searing pain of being alone,
Doubting, while yet hoping love might find me;
But this day failed me and can not atone
For all these hopeless longings that bind me

I shall not forget nor forgive this day,
Such neglect saddens and tortures my night,
And this chaplet of misery shall lay
Upon my heart like a perilous blight

Contemplating Love's banquet of delights,
I greet each morn with new hope in my heart;
But a thousand days and as many nights
Saw my dreams perish and watched Hope depart

Too long my lonely laments have been sung,
Do I demand too much when I implore
Love's blessing before my death knell is rung?
(This granted, I would ask for nothing more)

"Tomorrow Love will come - be not concerned"
Hope softly sighs.   But my senses are numb.
And yet, as the page from Life's book is turned,
Once again to Hope's deceit I succumb

The sweetest mystery of life --
This glorious madness called Love,
Formed and nurtured by the mind of God,
A rare gift born of Heaven above

Softly, its essence rides the wind,
Satisfying a primal need;
Love's rare scent causes delirium,
Yet we inhale it with anxious greed

Love provides the strength to surmount
Life's hurdles, to climb each mountain;
When the sands of longing parch our throats,
In our desert there springs a fountain

We hear Love's whisper in the dark,
Then one tender kiss kindles the flame;
Suddenly the fire's out of control --
The raging beast is no longer tame

Love is a baffling mystery,
Who can interpret the spell it weaves?
How great is the joy when it arrives,
But what burning torment when it leaves!

Only Love can inspire the poet
To relay what our hearts cannot tell:
Through Love we're shown a glimpse of Heaven,
Without Love, we get a taste of Hell

Love drinks our tears, changing them to wine,
In darkest hours, Love intercedes;
Love assaults the tree of loneliness,
Destroying the root, crushing the seeds

Love affords us the will to endure
Failure of our ill-conceived schemes;
Love is the calm that follows the storm,
Love is the fulfillment of our dreams

Love is the proof we are still alive,
For no spirit could feel Love's fire;
Though we declare Love with our last breath,
The grave silences mortal desire

What force gives meaning to our lives,
Our mettle when push comes to shove?
What helps us endure life's cruelest pain?
This divine blessing that we call Love!

This loving you does me no good,
Why won't Time help ease my pain?
In the late hours, memories gather 'round,
Smouldering ashes are stirred again

First an ember, and then a spark,
Soon the flames are leaping high,
Our symphony of love begins to play,
(I just can't let this music die)

Do you recall how we would hide
And love each other for hours?
That old shack by the lake would welcome us
With its fragrant jasmine bowers

Strange how the moon always found us,
He'd perch high above some tree,
Unfolding his rays of silver satin
He would cover us tenderly

Did you know how much I loved you?
Were my whispered vows too weak?
My heart and my soul are tormented now
By words I may have failed to speak

Nothing has changed since you left me,
I still love you, this I know,
(How can love that's been starved and abandoned
Still thrive and continue to grow?)

As darkness peers through my window,
I miss you more than I should,
It's taken me much too long to admit
This loving you does me no good

Soon the sun will set in this valley
Where I've roamed for many a year,
So many questions left unanswered!
So many answers remain unclear!
And others will ask what has been asked before,
But this much I know:  I'll ask no more

I cannot say that I'll miss this Earth
That censured me at every turn;
Too often were tearful lessons laid
On a heart that was too slow to learn,
And many more tears will flood misery's shore,
But this much I know:  I'll cry no more

And as for love that hid from my view -
Come, emerge from your hiding place!
I'll no longer seek your charity,
Supplication was my heart's disgrace;
Surely, more lonely hearts will plead at your door,
But this much I know:  I'll beg no more

This frame will dissolve into the soil
To nourish the worms and green things,
And flowers and birds will take delight,
Uncomprehending the gifts death brings;
And life will continue the same as before,
But this much I know:  I'll be no more

This path, overgrown with briar and brambles,
Thorns and nettles strewn in disarray;
A loathsome path of broken dreams, and yet,
Willingly I walk it each day

This path that hurts not the feet, but the heart,
Where roiling streams overflow their banks,
And burning cinders comingle with ice --
An affirmation of Life's cruel pranks!

What is it that prompts my unwavering steps?
The love that greets me at journey's end!
The ghost of a love lost so long ago
Leaps boundaries only love can transcend

What pain I endure to savor love's bliss!
On this path, blazed by temerity,
I fly past the graveyard of ill-fated  dreams
To a love that defies mortality

How weary I've grown trying to understand
Why such perfect love incurred God's wrath;
And now all that's left are the memories
That await me at the end of this path

How pleasant it is to sit and dream
While evening clouds paint the western sky . . .
Before I could tell my harebrained scheme
To the setting sun, it waved good-bye

If I may I'll share my plan with you:
Since all hopes and dreams of love lie spent,
Now and then I'll write a poem or two
Relating memoirs that I'll invent

What jealous passions might I provoke
From the wretched souls that only know
Loneliness, unaware of the joke
That I'm playing to hide my own woe

Wait until they read of my wild nights,
Strutting with a suitor on each arm,
Painting the town red.  These vile delights
Will bring gasps and be cause for alarm

Then there'll be the poems of quiet hours
When love's very essence lays its hand
On my heart like dew upon the flowers.
How the flames of envy will be fanned!

But here I sit, while the midnight stroke
Brings tears of loneliness to my eyes;
What fantasies my poems may evoke!
(But you and I know they're only lies)

In my heart I held one "I Love You",
O, how it longed to be heard!
Three words that I guarded so closely
Soon grew restless, like a captive bird

Three words, anxious to unlock the door
Of my heart so they could flee
To find refuge in another heart,
And form one love for eternity

But these words cannot be flung in jest --
Too rare and precious are they,
Too easily could they be seduced
And then used in some deceitful way

One night, my heart behaved carelessly,
Leaving the door's latch undone,
Acting on a whim, "I Love You" left,
And to a profane heart it did run

He said "Trust me, I'll cherish these words,
I swear by Heaven above you,"
Convinced by his passion, I succumbed,
But he defiled my last "I Love You"

Three words, wrapped in a scarlet mantle,
Would never be repeated;
On a blazing pyre they found their peace,
Their purpose so cruelly defeated

How mindlessly on Life's ocean we float,
Practicing deceit, causing tears to fall,
While a witness silently takes note --
Time sees and hears all

Not one false vow made in the name of Love
Will escape Time's ever watchful eyes;
Like thawing snow reveals the frozen dove,
Time unveils all lies

Tears carve channels that are easy to trace,
Brows are furrowed by promises broken;
You need only look upon my face .......
The years have spoken

Perhaps you are not aware that many of our recent poems are not being seen by all members. I discovered this a few months ago when I was asked to "log in." I have to log in every week, and I don't know why.  Anyway, I had visited the site of a member who told me he had posted a new poem.  I read the poem, then realized I could not comment because I was not logged in.  After I did that, his latest poems disappeared - nowhere to be found.  Well, the next time I had to log in, before I did that, I checked out various other sites and found the same problem - all latest poems, going back as far as 4 months - were not visible to me after I logged in.  I have notified management at least 3 times of this problem, but received no acknowledgement, and the problem goes on. So many times I get Error 502 and cannot gain access to the site for days.  So if any members have noticed their readership and comments diminishing, this problem may very well be affecting you, too.  Perhaps if we all "storm the citadel" and complain enough, this problem will be resolved.  Good luck to us all!

This day began with a resolute vow:
No longer will Life's trials wrinkle my brow;
Woe and misfortune shall seek me in vain --
Though their shadows creep, steadfast I'll remain

Today is my day --  I'll hold my head high,
And with a broad smile greet each passerby;
I'll not waste my breath to voice a complaint,
But joyfully shed this cloak of constraint

Today is the day Fear's restrictive chain
Will dissolve like a snowball in the rain;
Guilt and regret shall assail me no more --
Today I learned to barricade the door!

Yes, this is the day my voice will be heard --
(Passion's smoldering ashes have been stirred!)
All my inhibitions will be set free --
On swift wings will they claim their liberty

From this day forward, who knows what awaits --
Might love rescue me from these dire straits?
(Hope is a beacon whose light comes and goes,
Ah, but today, how radiantly it glows)

Today is my day -- new paths I'll travel
As life's binding threads start to unravel;
I dare anyone to stand in my way!
Do you hear me world? Today is my day!

I was too busy loving you
To ever notice the signs . . .
The frost forming in the vineyard,
The snow gathering in the pines

So busy was I loving you,
I didn't notice the smoke;
The fire had burned out long ago,
Leaving only embers to stoke

And then there was that lovely rose
You and I planted in the Spring;
While I was busy loving you,
I failed to see it withering

To our garden, without warning
There came clouds obstructing my sight;
Too busy was I loving you
To foresee the approaching blight

There's nothing left to salvage now,
Just withered vines  where love once grew;
Why did I not see this coming?
I was too busy loving you!

How lonely must the night become,
How dark before we are shown the light?
Must it be the starving man's last crumb
That draws God's attention to his plight?

To what degree must the heart break --
'Til it's held by one thin fragile thread?
Can we shout a sleeping God awake?
Dare we go where angels fear to tread!

How many tears must stain the page
Of the distraught poet's saddest verse?
The answer evades the wisest sage,
Could it be God himself laid this curse?

But in vain we question our fate --
Superficial particles are we,
Destined for death, nervously we wait,
Born to suffer - but to what degree?

Is no man worthy of his birth?
From what Source sprang this complexity?
Begging for mercy has little worth,
Not even Death pledges amnesty

Might the darkness get darker still?
Does our suffering bridge eternity?
Is wrath part of God's undying will
To torment us ....... but to what degree?