Everyday Love

 

We ate dinner in
The garden tonight ~

The candles were
Almost as bright
As the fireflies ~
And the air was
Like warm silk
Upon my skin ~

There was chicken ~
Redolent with herbs ~
And a light crisp
White wine ~ crusty
Bread ~ and tomatoes
Still warm from
The sun ~

We talked with
Our eyes ~
Exchanging the
Occasional buttery
Kiss ~ or tasty morsel ~

We made a memory ~
And I cherish its
Very ordinariness ~

We have had our
High spots and
Our lows ~

But truly it is days
Like this ~ that
Knit the strands of
Our lives together ~

End of Days

I have been
Thinking lately ~
Of the inexorable
March of days ~

While in the distance ~
On the far horizon ~
The answer to the
Final question ~
Shimmers with
Breathless promise ~

Beckoning me to
Speed my steps ~
Toward that
Elusive goal ~

But I am wiser
Than I was ~
And I will
Let my destiny
Claim me
When it will ~

And I will let
My future flow ~
Play out my
Chosen role ~

Until I
Am no more ~

The Joker

I’ve seen the fall
And know the position
Of every card in your
Colorful deck ~

Do you really imagine
Your trickery fools me ~
It’s clear in your eyes
You’re in over your head ~

God help me ~ an
Innocent ~ caught in the
Crossfire ~ helpless and
Frightened ~ a pawn for
The sacrifice ~

You should be grateful ~
Cruelty to children
Is not in my nature ~
And later you will be
Though you hate me now ~

Lucky for you that you’ve
Come to the right place ~
And luckier still that I’m
Feeling generous ~

 

Now shall we discuss the
Saving of you ~ and I will
Decide on my price ~ and
You if you’re willing to pay ~

Don’t look so downhearted
You may like my terms ~
But then after all
What else can you say ~

So what will it be
My fine young friend ~
Come give me a kiss
To seal our bargain ~

You may tell me later ~
If you think it was
Worth your while ~
Let us begin ~

 

 

The Hardest Lesson

A wave of love and
Longing washes over me ~
It’s been so long
Since last I held you
In my arms ~

My world ended
In a moment ~
But that moment
Has gone on forever ~
Though you have not ~

We speak of death
As if it were an entity ~
It is not kind or cruel
As the case may be ~
But only the cessation ~
Of this phase of life ~

The breath is stilled
The heart will beat no more ~
The fleshly envelope
Has given up its
Animating spirit ~

One learns to speak of the
Beloved in the past tense ~
But is it right to say
I ‘loved’ him ~ when I
Love him still ~

The busywork of death
Can be distracting ~
But ritual can take you
Just so far ~

I’ve had to learn
To live without you ~
I’m learning still ~

Troubadour

A violinist to his
Fingertips ~ he
Draws me in ~
And captivates me ~

The yearning in the
Notes ~ that pour forth
From his instrument ~
Warms my chilly bones ~

For of them all it is
The violin that slays me ~
There is some haunting
Quality in its strings ~

I think that violins
Must be ~ where
The purist souls go ~
When they die ~

Will It Be Fight or Flight?

 

The young lovers
Stand close together ~
Though they do
Not ~ quite ~ touch ~

Perhaps they think
Their love a secret ~
Or perhaps they
Just don’t care ~

But either way there
Will be repercussions ~
If the king should hear
Of their affair ~

I must choose now
But that is easy ~
I will ride with him
As I have always done ~

And if you ride
With her ~ then you
Should be prepared ~
We leave at dawn ~

Yes he is young but
He has won my trust ~
And she your loyalty ~
Watch for my signal ~

Remember This

Oh what a perfect
Late Spring evening ~
The air exactly
The right degree ~

The sun so gentle
The breeze so cool ~
Evening’s peace
Falls over me ~

And for that one ~
Brief ~ moment ~
Everything is
As it should be ~