Face of Life

If I had but a moment's grace,

I'd gaze once more upon your face

On distinct features, weathered lines

where knowledge lives and ease reclines

Where eyes say more than winsome lips

their glance a touch like fingertips

A face that speaks of brimming life

of love and pain, both joy and strife

Visage of human beauty true

of faith and trust, and hope anew

The face reflects the complex man,

the sum of parts that lie within



With thanks to my usual, yet-always-unusual, inspiration.

The Life Abandoned

 

I belong not to you,

   but to an ocean of night

To some dark, lonely kingdom

   which will never know light

To a world undefined

   both empty and cold

Where hope is for nothing

   no happiness sold

In this realm of darkness

   domain of despair

I shed bitter tears

   alone in nightmare

Fear and unhappiness

   meld into one

Beloved companions

   spoils of wars they have won

Isolation complete

   no protector to trust

A life filled with ashes

   surrendered to dust

  

Invasion

Invasion

I tried in vain to shut out life

     to keep it from my door.

Yet in it came, with all its strife,

     to complicate things more.

Uninvited causes, uninvited sounds,

uninvited people

crossed my silent bounds.

All attempts to scorn them

   proved to no avail.

Once alone in quiet solitude,

   now cacophony prevailed.

To my awe and consternation,

   though uneasiness was rife,

I came to reconcile myself

   to this thing called life.