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?

Pursue your elusive dreams of love,
Rig the mast, set sail this very night,
Forge ahead, though the darkness blinds you,
Don't wait for day to restore your sight

You do not need to see things clearly,
For dreams are not beheld by the eyes,
That fire in your heart will be your guide
To find true love, wherever it lies

Dream of Eden before the gates closed
And two people sealed the fate of all;
Imagine the love that dwelt within!
(The secret still lies beyond that wall)

When the moon hides, don't curse the darkness,
Dare to steer your ship without a star;
Your dreams will guide you to love's fair shore,
Though the journey be tiresome and far

Take all your fantasies to the brink,
Let nothing inhibit your desires,
Stir the embers of your dying dreams,
Igniting all those forbidden fires

For dreaming is so much like praying -
Your heart cries out to some higher power
Begging for love you believe will come,
Though you know not the day nor the hour

And when your house of cards has fallen,
Don't let your heart sink into despair;
Remember, your dreams are what guide you,
So keep dreaming .... love will hear your prayer!

Time outstretched its callous fingers
And reclaimed my summer bouquet,
While Death's apprentice stands close by,
Waiting for his cue in this play

The hour has grown late -  so be it -
What matters one more reckless choice?
Though eyes grow dim, yet my ears strain
To hear Love's long-awaited voice

My door now opens to strangers,
(I'm not concerned with their intent)
A daring stance now pays my way,
The coins of youth having been spent

And what of love, that elusive dream
That taunts my heart mercilessly?
This consoling thought I proffer:
Keep faith, dear heart, it yet may be!

And perhaps on some moonlit night,
With his arms clasped tightly 'round me
My love and I will speak with joy
Of that winter night he found me

Watching tender blossoms open,
Though a frost lay thick on the bower,
How we'll  bless that borrowed sunshine
Love granted in our winter hour!

But should this never come to pass,
Who is there to blame for my plight?
Just a fool in her loneliness
Who dared to dream on a winter night

The sun rose, its duties to uphold
In its usual, most resplendent manner,
Spreading glorious rays of orange and gold -
Proud it rose, wildly waving its banner;
I was not stirred by this gaudy display,
For I find no joy since he went away

Listen to those songbirds in the tree,
You would think they'd find something better to do
Than to warble amidst such misery
On this Earth, overgrown with weeds and rue!
O, forgive my tone, so doleful and grim,
But I find no joy being without him

And why does the moon glow so brightly .....
Does it not know darkness helps me to forget?
Was ever a lantern so unsightly!
Throwing its rays without any regret;
Such indifference causes me agony,
For I find no joy since he's not with me

But life goes on as it did before,
And Earth will continue to orbit the sun,
And my heart will break just a little more
Finding myself alone when day is done -
Peace and hope no longer in my employ,
Being without his love I find no joy

Love, fly homeward to my heart once more,
Come wash away the memory of the day
You left me standing alone on Love's shore
While Sorrow's ebb tide swept my joy away;
Should Angels whisk me to their sacred lair,
I'll find no joy unless I find you there

Last night I had the strangest dream:
Love carried me to Heaven's door.
All the joys of Life magnified
As angels beckoned us inside,
Warning this was but a dream -- no more

What delights my senses beheld,
Elysian music filled the air!
Only Love could write such a score
And the heart understand its lore.
But the enchantment did not end there .....

A mystic fragrance made me swoon
As Love chanted its divine hymn;
Who could have guessed a dream could bring
The rapture of eternal Spring,
With each tree boasting a flowered limb!

Smiling angels reassured me
Heaven can be found here on Earth;
The golden key of Love's embrace
Permits entry to God's pure space.
Only there can be found Life's true worth

All's vanished now -- that sacred view,
The angels' smiles, that perfumed air;
Once more my life's burdened with grief,
I look to Heaven for relief ...
But only Love can take me there

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

I could count the grains of sand on the shore,
Through a straw, I could drink the sea dry,
But never could I stop loving you,
If commanded, I could not comply

I could move a mountain that blocked your view,
I could rearrange stars in the sky,
But never could I stop loving you,
It would be foolish for me to try

I could change the song of the birds at dawn,
I could dance on the flames of the sun,
But never could I stop loving you,
Certain deeds simply cannot be done

I could walk on water to come to you,
I could do anything that you ask,
But never could I stop loving you,
That would be an impossible task!

From my window I gazed on a lily
That had been denied rain and sun,
Always looking heavenward with trust,
Pleading for mercy . . . but finding none

From my window I watched a grieving bird --
Strong gales had swept over her nest,
In vain, she called to her loving mate . . .
Morning found his tattered wings at rest

From my window I observed a woman,
Lonely tears channeling her face,
Every day she walked her path alone,
Feeble and unsteady in her pace

A reassuring word might sustain her,
As I hastened to draw nearer,
It was only then I realized
That I was looking in my mirror

The slighted lily, the forsaken bird,
How devious the mind can be!
My own pain, so cleverly disguised
Fills my mirror, staring back at me

From my window I watch life passing by,
O, these eyes, how they have deceived!
But blessed are they who cannot discern
What is certain from what is perceived

I remember when his love died,
With care, I buried each memory,
How could I know echoes would escape,
Bringing to my heart their treachery

With cloud drifts, his words come floating,
On the wind, close to my ears they glide,
When the evening spreads its purple cloak
I run underneath, trying to hide

But I find no sanctuary,
Everywhere I go, an echo strays,
Echoes of pledges made by our hearts
Are searching for those happier days

Echoes stir the sleeping fragments
Of a heart shattered by a cruel blow,
Tell me, in what way have I wronged Fate
That it chooses to punish me so!

I'm a prisoner of his echoes,
They keep me chained to his memory,
His words crash and break like crystal waves,
Pounding my heart's shore endlessly

I don't know how such things can be,
All my days now in darkness are clad;
Slowly, but surely, haunting echoes
Of his love are driving me mad!

If you awaken before me
And I'm crying in my sleep,
Kiss me gently and stroke my hair,
Give me reason not to weep

If you awaken before me
And I'm smiling happily,
It means I'm dreaming of your love,
Make my dreams reality

If you awaken before me
And I'm shivering with cold,
Let your body become my quilt,
Let your sensual warmth unfold

If you awaken before me,
Gently, darling, pull me close,
Tell me just how much you love me -
In poetry, then in prose

If you awaken before me
Please, never leave me alone,
I panic when I don't see you,
And your whereabouts unknown

If you awaken before me
And you need to hear me say:
"I love you more than life itself....."
Awaken me ..... you know the way!

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

Love taught me to laugh at Life's ordeals
When I scarce could find a smile;
And the lingering pain that plagued my heart
Had been hurled into swift exile

Love taught me to sing the sweetest notes
When no sound would leave my throat;
And when  I was drowning in despair,
Love taught me how to float

Love taught me I have the right to hope
For things I thought could not be,
And I learned anything's possible
When Love found its way to me

Love taught me to humbly render thanks
To a God I thought long dead;
When Love's holy chrism healed my heart
All my doubts dispersed and fled

Love taught me to have faith and believe
In miracles long overdue,
No matter the hour or circumstance,
Love may grant what we pursue

Then Love delivered a grievous pain
When one day it said good-bye,
Thus rendering a lesson unforeseen . . .
Love taught me how to cry

"Forever"  is such a foolish word,
To its promise we're held like a slave,
Too often love is vowed forever
And then hurtled toward an early grave

Without shame, "forever" deceives us,
For what it vows, it can't deliver,
Like a stream that can't float a dried leaf,
Yet, it boasts like a mighty river

Yes, "forever" is a finite word
Eternity must find amusing,
Just a carelessly shared expression
We mortals delight in abusing

"Forever"  derides reality
Even when spoken with good intent;
But only fools believe "forever,"
And soon discover its value spent

Yet, we need "forever" in our lives,
This word, uttered with bold endeavor,
This beacon that lights our darkest hours,
Can we just cast it aside?  Never!

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!

Loneliness is a shadowy hand
That reaches deep into the night,
Clutching our hearts, awakening our pain,
Reminding us of our wretched plight
(Without feeling the least bit contrite)

What a cruel master is Loneliness,
Each night it connives with the moon,
Urging her to mock and deride our pain,
While we cry, and our hearts lie in ruin
(To our pain and woe they're both immune)

Born of an evil, uncaring source
Loneliness has but one intent:
To deliver its pain and agony
To our hearts, causing endless torment
(Turning a deaf ear to our lament)

Loneliness can change a smiling face
To one filled with panic and fear;
Tearful eyes that once reflected Love
Tell Loneliness what it longs to hear:
(We have lost the one we held most dear)

But Loneliness has one fearless foe
That always ensures its defeat:
Love appears, rendering its deadly blow,
Knocking Loneliness right off its feet
(What other battle could be as sweet?)

Alas! Loneliness will not be deterred,
It knows the ways of Love are fleeting,
How patiently it waits in the shadows  
To pounce when it sees Love retreating!
(And the dead heart goes right on beating)

It's time I set sail for an unknown shore,
I've rigged the mast the best that I could,
My destination's a mystery,
And I fear, perhaps more than I should

Blindly I've wandered, so what's left to fear ....
Another storm? I've weathered them all,
Love's tangled vines have tripped me before,
So it's of small concern if I fall

And should a wave cause my boat to capsize .....
More than once I've drowned in my own tears,
Then cruelly revived, against my will,
And so this is the least of my fears

I may encounter nights as black as coal,
Frosty winds that could turn flames to ice,
But should this come to pass, I'm prepared,
I'll recite his love poems, once or twice

And I'll stare at the sky's diamond necklace,
Recalling how we loved 'neath the stars,
O, when will I cease to yearn for love lost?
Old wounds hurt when you pick at the scars

I'm ready now to break the bonds of Earth,
Long enough on its thorns have I trod,
At journey's end, may I find my peace,
And forgiveness in the heart of God