As the light does not vanish entirely
From northern skies at dusk

---

Neither will my love for you
Diminish over the years to come



Were an infinite palette of colors
Mine to command

---

I could not replicate
The perfection of you



Could every Royal Symphony Orchestra
Together rouse their mightiest crescendo

---

It would fail to match the song
You wrote on my heart

Parade gloss on steel-toes in lockstep
Made comfortable living for the X's and Y's, who added entitlement to
the lauded Pursuit of...

Predecessors of our identity
Who single-handedly built a machine out of the detritus
Of war

Storming the shores of foreign lands
Many returned home silent; draped in spangled glory

We'll Never Forget.

Long after the guests go home and the hall is dark
Long before the dawn resurrects a broken world from
Its gray ashes once more

You see me.

The music is silent now; no voices are heard
As I stare at the starry heavens above
Far, far above all of our pain, sorrow and regret

You see me.

Tears trickle down my cheeks
Hot. Stinging.
Blurring my vision of Paradise.

But the real torment is deep inside
That twisting, cramping, fiery thorn
That tears never seem to dissolve
No matter how many I cry.

You see me.

So many times I didn't want you to
You tried to come near; but I refused
I was angry and I directed that anger at you.
Much of the anger remains, but it isn't aimed
At you now. I know you aren't to blame.

Years went by...cold, hard years of confusion
Misery. Turmoil.
Plenty of easy answers,  but no solutions.
I wanted to be special to you.
I wanted to be special to me, too.

You see me.

After awhile you learn to deal any way you can.
Consequences. That was a long word in an old dusty book
In the back of some abandoned library of my past.
On a shelf marked "Idyllic Green Moments."

There was a line of trees between a farmers field and my schoolyard.
A few lilac bushes also grew there.
Over the years other children had worn a narrow trail in among the
Underbrush. I remember sitting there many times while golden sunlight
Fell among the shadows, there in that lilac-scented oasis

Before the world knew who I was
Before I tried to hide from myself
Before I turned my back on you

You saw me then, too.
Now I only want to go home.

Alone with my thoughts at the end of the day
I finish my tasks
Then I go to bed
Again wondering: how long?

Its been said that...human touch
Is an important thing
We know all too well
Of those who harm with their touch

Sad and unfortunate, that.
But I'm speaking to the gentler version
Tenderness, affirmation, comfort, reassurance, thoughtfulness,
Love

Bring to my remembrance again
How thirsty I am for a touch of a hand
Yea, though it is skin that you feel
It is my soul that you hold...

Seeking to hide in my dreams
For surcease from this drought
Sleep does afford a light distraction
But it cannot fully keep out the reality

Am I speaking as a fool? Then so it is.
Oh! how warm is the embrace of a soulmate
You draw each other near, arms outstretched...
...
...no words need be said as I breathe in the scent of her perfume
Then pulling back for a moment to gaze into her eyes
Looking into the delicate iris...involuntarily dilating
Wanting to be strong for her. Protective. Trustworthy. Honorable.

Yet feeling myself melt as I contemplate the rare treasure that I have the privilege...
Of beholding.

You might say I'm:
Old-fashioned? Perhaps.
Honor. Loving. Giving then receiving. Trusting and sharing. Liberty within commitment.

Touch.

A simple word. An even simpler act. Yet profound, is it not?
Whether a peck on the cheek, a pat on the back as you run out the door...or holding hands as we walk down the road at dusk, while fireflies sparkle in the midsummer air...crickets in harmonius chorus sing out...as our hearts touch the sky.

I wish there was a Time
And a Place
Where we could be together
Again

Looking over my shoulder
At the cars passing by
Rain-swept sidewalk
Leading me into the night

Forget that I called you
Forget that I meant anything to you
Remember that I love you
Remember that I miss you

All is fair in Love & War?
Game. Set. Match.
I surrender to your potency
Your...frailty

Step inside a dark lit
Coffee bar
Beneath a neon sign
I watch the watercolor world
Through a nicotine windowpane