The Setting Sun

As the sun sinks below the horizon,

Thick darkness covers the sky.

It spreads through the hills

As nature stills

And the light continues to die.

Darkness now reigns over the earth.

Like a king on his lightless throne.

The day long expelled,

And its light withheld,

Night, now stands, alone.

The stars appear, their glory revealed,

And the moon unveils her face.

The earth bathes in light,

And the sky at night

Is mantled with beauty and grace.

But dawn must come at last,

And the night give way to time.

The stars must go,

Their light to show,

When again, the sky, they climb.

For finally, the night must end.

And the day, again, appear.

It brightens the earth

With sounds of mirth,

And a light that’s crystal clear!

…

P.L

Remember

I remember all those days gone by

When joy wasn’t so estranged.

And as I think of our lives as they were,

When you could feel so much happiness stir,

Then I begin to wonder why

The world ever needed to change

And I miss those days.

I miss those times so long ago.

I miss you in so many ways

I still don’t want to let you go.

‘Cause I miss your smile.

I miss your head upon my shoulder.

I miss your smile-

Miss you by my side as I grow older.

But I guess I can wait for a while.

But I’ll pray to God that time would hurry.

‘Cause I miss your smile.

I remember how we’d sit some nights.

All alone on that bench in the park.

And you’d lat your head on my shoulder.

As the late night air grew colder.

And we’d watch as the dim city lights

Sprung out as the world grew dark.

And I miss those nights.

I miss those times so long ago.

It still doesn’t seem quite right.

I still don’t want to let you go.

‘Cause I miss your smile.

I miss your head upon my shoulder.

I miss your smile-

Miss you by my side as I grow older.

But I guess I can wait for a while.

But I’ll pray to God that time would hurry.

‘Cause I miss your smile.

I remember how we’d walk sometimes.

Late at night down the street all alone.

And you’d huddle close by my side.

As the moonlight swept down like the tide.

And the trees cast down thin wavy lines

As through their branches the stars brightly shone.

And I miss those times.

I miss those times so long ago.

And as I think how once you were mine,

I still don’t want to let you go.

‘Cause I miss your smile.

I miss your head upon my shoulder.

I miss your smile-

Miss you by my side as I grow older.

But I guess I can wait for a while.

But I’ll pray to God that time would hurry.

‘Cause I miss your smile.

And I remember the night I got that call-

When even time seemed to slow as it passed.

And as I thought back to years long gone by,

I knew that change had now come to our lives.

And I felt my spirits suddenly fall

As I realized good things must come to their lasts.

And I knew I’d miss you dear,

As I miss those times so long ago.

And I wish you were here,

‘Cause I still don’t want to let you go.

‘Cause I miss your smile.

I miss your head upon my shoulder.

I miss your smile-

Miss you by my side as I grow older.

But I guess I can wait for a while.

But I’ll pray to God that time would hurry.

‘Cause I miss your smile.

And I remember how I sat by your bed

As the days dragged slowly on.

And then the day came I’ll never forget-

The day you left with the sun as it set.

And, oh, the many tears I shed

When I realized that now you were gone.

And I miss you now.

I miss those times so long ago.

I know you’re gone, but somehow

I still don’t want to let you go.

‘Cause I miss your smile.

I miss your head upon my shoulder.

I miss your smile-

Miss you by my side as I grow older.

But I guess I can wait for a while.

But I’ll pray to God that time would hurry.

‘Cause I miss your smile.

And as I think of days so long ago-

Of times when we were never apart-

Then I wish you were here once again,

So you could quiet my heartache within.

And yet the pain begins to slow

As I think how you are still here in my heart.

And I miss you still,

As I miss those times so long ago.

And I know I never will,

But I still don’t want to let you go.

‘Cause I miss your smile.

I miss your head upon my shoulder.

I miss your smile-

Miss you by my side as I grow older.

But I guess I can wait for a while.

But I’ll pray to God that time would hurry.

‘Cause I miss your smile.

…

P.L.

Blighted Love

Winter’s chill was fading slowly,

And Spring was struggling up anew,

When at first she showed her face

In this dreary part of the earth.

Flowers bloomed in her auburn hair

And her smile brightened their hue.

She stirred up nature to life again,

From its slumber beneath the snow.

She warmed the earth, and kissed its face,

And breathed brightness into the sun.

She stirred the streams to laughter,

And painted the sky a brighter blue.

She stayed through the months of summer.

Life was sweeter than I’ve ever known.

The trees cast down pools of shadow,

While the wind laughed through their leaves.

In time the summer left its place

Amid the twirling leaves of fall.

Abandoning her who’d been its friend

Through so many months before.

I watched with growing sadness

As the world began to turn its face.

Whenever she passed by it.

All nature turned away.

One day I saw her coming.

She said she’d come to say goodbye.

And then she turned and went away

On the wings of blighted love.

I’ve awaited her return long since.

I’ve dared to hope she’d come once more.

And though I wait forever,

Yet would I welcome her again.

…

P.L.

The Flower

The scene was perfect, or would have been to a watcher who cared.  The sky was brilliant, or might have seemed so to one who would have taken note of such a dismal fact.  To one who was willing to see it, the beauty of the trees resembled those from some forgotten tale of lore, seeming to suggest that at any moment some dryad or nymph, or perhaps a satyr or two might break through their enchanted barrier, as a preamble to some great adventure or romance; at least so it might have seemed to another.  The rich glade would be, to some, blissfully quiet, but just now it seemed rather to be in a solemn silence in face of the angry sadness I bore down upon its carpeted floor.  I was not in a romantic frame of mind.  I was not feeling inclined to respond to the many temptations of nature’s woodland themes.

Instead, I collapsed sullenly on the grassy earth and stared vacantly into the far reaches of the endless grains of matter before my eyes; staring, I say, but hardly was I seeing.  Seeing was something I cared not to do just now.  And I rather think that nature noticed this.  From large to small, nature in its entirety seemed to draw back in distress at my mood and sit down in perplexity at my manner.  But what did I care?  Was I a romanticist that I should care for the subtle whims of the forest?  No.  I tried my best to ignore the pleading and pitiful advances of my surroundings and strove rather to focus on my own feelings at the moment.

Anger.  Sadness.  A bout of melancholy and a touch of something akin to despair.   More anger.  More sadness.

            There is something of a comfort in the confines of one’s own emotions; something distantly soothing in the meditation of them when they are hot.  They are strangely refuge-like in their contemplation.  Rather like to the pleasure derived from a very slight and vague pain when one pricks the end of one’s finger; painful, yet not so much so as to render the effect undesirable, but just enough to confuse the senses and manufacture something like unto pleasure in the end.  And so I strove to bathe myself in emotion, sitting in the solitude of my own feelings.  I was perfectly alone with myself.

I shut my eyes to nature and let my own mind wander its own winding paths.  For its paths were more lonesome and in compliance with my current frame of mind than those nature would have me travel.  My mind went slowly from one minute to the next, looking angrily at each one.  Lingering for one last glare as time finally passed me by.  I simply would not allow myself to be comforted by anything or anyone.  I would stay within myself and nothing would take me out.  I was angry.  I was sullen.  I was not about to change.

My own world was good enough for me, for now.  I had no use for the outside, which was so blissful, so happy, so entirely……quiet.  Indeed.  It was quiet.  I opened my eyes and blinked, watching as the ground, so close at hand, came into focus.  There, in front of me…..stood a flower; alone and smiling.  As if it thought that its presence might change my mood.  How naïve.  I smirked at it and shut my eyes again upon its smiles.  I would have none of it.

Once again time passed into something not worth reckoning.  I waded in the angry sympathy of my feelings.  I let them wash over me again and again, and they became yet more potent with every cycle.  I turned off the outside world and let it fade.  I watched the deepening blackness in the abyss behind my eyelids, as I let it grow upon my mind.  There is something of a comfort in the confines of one’s own emotions, so I dwelt upon them.

Anger.  Sadness.  A bout of melancholy and a touch of something akin to despair.   More anger.  More sadness.

I cracked one eye.  There it was, still standing right where it had been, looking as though it hadn’t noticed my dismissal, nor was discouraged by it.  There it stood.  Smiling, beaming, being happy.  How disgusting.  I frowned down at the pitiful little thing.  It smiled right back up at me.  I crossed my arms and sat up, glaring down furiously at the ignorant piece of shrubbery.  It puckered up a little, but pulled itself together and continued beaming.  No!  It was not welcome.  I was angry and would stay as such.  I defied all of the forces of nature to tear it out of me!

I closed my eyes and attempted to return to my previous state.  It would no longer come.  I tried again to shut my eyes against the world.  I could no longer concentrate on my feelings.  Very well.  I must, needs, then, do away with the distraction.  I opened my eyes.  There was the flower.  Still standing, still smiling, trying its best to be joyful.  I glared.  How dare it intrude into my feelings and attempt to supplant the emotions my best efforts had induced.  But it would not succeed.  I zeroed in on the fragile shrub.  It was a battle, a dual of the wills.  My will was to be angry and sad.  Its will was to be happy and make me so as well.  I glared.  It smiled.  I crossed my arms and leered.  It ruffled its leaves and beamed.

What an indomitable little plant.  I could at least commend it for that.  And it was beautiful…  But no!  I would not allow myself to be sucked in.  It was an intruder, unwanted, and unwelcome.   I turned my head away from the loathsome thing.  Yet I fancied that out of the corner of my eye I saw it shake its head.  Yes, and even shake with laughter at me.  I turned back to it and frowned.  It wasn’t much of a frown, but it was the best I could muster at this point.  I frowned, and frowned.  It smiled, and smiled bigger.

I fought it, but slowly, I felt my frown melt, and change direction.  Slowly, against my will, the polarity of my expression began to reverse.  I battled, but it was no use.  Soon I also was smiling, yes and beaming.  The world was a fine place, after all.  Though sadness and anger come and go and at times supplant the beauty of our surroundings, yet they are only passing things.  Nature never ceases to remind us that joy trumps all.

I looked around me.  The scene was perfect.  The sky was brilliant, sprinkling brightness through the endless reaches of atmosphere and past the masses of clouds.  The beauty of the trees resembled those from some forgotten tale of lore, seeming to suggest that at any moment some dryad or nymph, or perhaps a satyr or two might break through their enchanted barrier, as a preamble to some great adventure or romance.  The rich glade was blissfully quiet, throwing a lush carpet of velvety green over the rich earth, sparring on a theme of bliss already pervading a place so magical.

I glanced down at the flower.  It was so lovely, so beautiful, so perfect.  I smiled, happily down at the innocent shrub.  It smiled joyfully right back up at me.

…

P.L