I fell into your words without a sound
I must confess, I thought them very real
A burgeoning romance, I mused, profound—-
Each promise that you made, I set the seal
And so did I, in daydream, much time spend
And by your face and arms I was consumed
In deep imaginings without an end
And by your love I thought I’d be exhumed—-
But whispered words in darkness are not truth;
When darkness leaves, truth darts away as well
And to believe such lies is to be youth
A paradox of time that aging quells
So did I think your promise absolute
While you intended no fair restitute—-

I’ve been writing poetry about you on a daily basis.
Shalln’t complain, it’s rare to find such undiluted inspiration—-
Crisp and fresh, aquamarine
-Never such a sight I’ve seen-
And never such a sound I’ll hear
Sweet laughing waters splashing clear—-
Reason comes to stand adjacent,
Thinking me to be complacent:
“Shouldn’t this a worry be?”
She asks, “Your source of poetry?”
“Surely you must be possessed—-
Or at the very least, obsessed …”
“Nay!” I say, and, thanking her,
Turn back quickly to the words
That burble from the fountain’s head
And thus declare my worries dead:
For ne’er should Inspiration be refused
Regardless of an unexpected Muse—-

Our intimacy wanes then reappears
sporadically; how does our love expand?
The time has darted quickly into years
We’ll know not what Fate gives as her command—-
I’m sure I’ve failed to escape clichés;
You make them rise with happiness abound:
“In your arms evermore I want to lay”
… something in you I’ve always known profound—-
But, fear does linger ever in the back,
Dark corners seem to whisper of despair.
It holds the rope, but e’re I give it slack
For it shall hold me not; I have no care.
I know that this relationship transcends
All common sense—- and yet I see no end—-

While searching one day very deep within
—I looked into myself, not to above—
And thus proposed the meaningful question:
“So, what is life to me?” And I heard “Love.”
No other words the voice did utter thence
Only that sweet resounding one did ring,
I wondered how I’d known and also whence
Did my heart know this true; when did it sing?
Then pondered I did deeply for a while
Why such a whimsy I’d declare divine
Love’s naught but good to spark the slightest smile!
But, nay, for it withstands the test of time
Why be displeased what from this resolution?
Love’s presence be more pure than absolution—-

Desire tempts me not in others’ eyes—-
An unappealing animal I see
The creeping flames that lap at others’ thighs
From them I seem to have immunity.
It has not always been this way, of course
-In past, I may have felt in other ways-
But now, at present, there’s another force
That pushes back those times to distant days …
Hot kisses and short gasps in quaking arms,
Those memories would fade away to dust,
Without Love’s blessing, they’ll bring only harms
Cold Emptiness commiserates with Lust—-
And never did I fathom I could be
Content to dwell in such sweet chastity.

It seems I'm caught in a love dream*

Sometimes, often, in fact
In deep unrest I reside
I wonder if it’s really love I feel
Is it possible?
I doubt it highly.
Or perhaps I’m fooling myself—-
Is Whimsy whisp’ring in my ear?
Is Folly fondling my sleeve?
Do they join hands and cavort about me
Gamboling and giggling in my bewilderment?
Has Verity vanished and I’ve made myself companion to droll Devils?
Surround me
For in this state, I know not whom is Truth
and who at present dons Deceit’s disguise…

The keys and strings and knobs and bows taunt
Horse string, shining metal, ivory, silver, and gold—-
Glimmering,
Beckoning
Inclining me to use them
To take them, stroke them, slam them
Abuse them
Worship them
And in my mind
Their chords with flats and sharps and crescendoes and pianissimos blend
Dissonance and perfect harmony battle ferociously
Or perhaps they are dancing?