you will go your way
despite my protests
no use lamenting
what was never promised
the sun rides low the horizon
soon it will not clear the treetops
storms gather in the northern sea
needled wind to scattered seed
hoary frost on yellowed grass
dark leaves in mirrored puddles
a suspended death
crystalline and indeterminate
there is no fire hot enough
to stave off the first chill
of a careless winter
the numb hibernating sleep
soft gray melting days
the desperate wish
to regain summer

(I wrote this for my husband for our 11th anniversary. He was in the Navy, deployed. I found it in a book. That was 25 years ago)

It was eleven years ago today
Down South in Carolina way
That you n' me, in secret we were wed
We gave ourselves to each other
In those sacred vows we said
Every day l thank my Lord above  
For the power of our young, sweet love

You told me that nobody
Ever loved you like I do
Always I have loved you
Still our love is ever new
With your love you taught me
What commitment really is  

Through the years we haven't always
Been as close as we could be
Almost all our time together
We have journeyed happily
I wouldn't trade a minute
Of the time I've spent with you
The best times and the not so good
Whet our love most true

Today I spent alone, with empty arms
In my cold bed
How I long to feel the warmth of
your deep love in me instead
I long to give myself to you
And you yourself to me
Our kisses warm, our bodies hot,
as close as they can be

My joy in loving you
Is bittersweet today
Oh my darling! Oh my man!
You're half the world away
Anniversary without my love
Oh what a price to pay

In my heart you are as close
to me as my own breath
I pray that our dear love will grow
and even beyond death
With body, heart, and mind we'll know
As promised to each other
A life beyond our dreams  
My Bill! My own sweet lover!
Words alone cannot make known
how dearly our love sings



Sent from my iPhone

You were my perfect poem
Brief but of many lessons
Our life was the perfect paradox
For love I thought we could rhyme

You hated all I ever loved,I loved all you hated
You said dirt was clean and the sun was cold
You desired tears for years
And resisted all advances of happiness

All you hated I had to forsake
For our love was at stake
But like a toddler you had fun with my feelings
Leaving our blindest love in darkness reeling

Yet my greatest victory was losing you
My severest pain was my sweetest gain
You schooled me through experience
My all-time worst teacher

You were my perfect poem
Eternity would be short to describe the undescribable
For when my hand is strong to hold the pen
Then my heart is weak to pen the words

You will not see my shadow pass
the gate of mournings eerie dark
Nor hear my voice among the reeds
that grow above my silenced heart
No fondest kiss to furrowed brow
to quell the torment of your making
for you have left me here alone
to sleep the sleep that knows no waking.