Into Memory

But why would you leave me?

I whispered to the glass;

There’s nothing there to see,

Let God and Angels pass;

Don’t be jealous of my time

I spend it on my loved--

There’s no reason or rhyme

For petty envy, beloved.

Don’t wait to kiss my lips

Hold me tightly now,

Don’t partake of love in sips

Drink deeply, and dow.

Don’t leave me here alone

Unless you leave a promise, a vow--

To love me as your own

And dream with me, as you do, now.

Come home to me my dear,

And we’ll be together again,

Wander through our memories near

And form our own bit of heaven.

We’ll walk through the lost woods

Of our forgotten childhood;

Hold hands and talk of forgotten woulds,

And regretted shoulds; and what could

Have come of love indivisible,

The immortal beauty

Of friendship inseparable, invisible

To all time, and lacking duty.

Come back and hold my hand

Just like the way you used to--

Come back, like we planned,

Our hiding’s nearly through.

Why should we wait?

To wait is to end

Without beginning; mate

Stranger with friend.

I long only for you,

Now, and then, and always;

Only dust and tears grew

In those divided days.

When loneliness my heart devoured

And darkened all the world,

That most beautiful of all, soured,

From the light I was hurled.

Come, come,

Our story’s just begun.

Though our world comes to a close,

And our tale is finally done,

Earth’s swallowed all our woes--

Our homes and our toys,

Our bodies old and young,

All our fickle ploys,

All words from mortal tongue;

Though the end of story has begun--

The unburdening death of choices--

And ashes are our voices,

Our song is yet unsung.

Come, come,

Into memory we go,

Vast treasure of all human story,

Locked chest sunk in earth below,

Crammed with tragedy and with glory.

Into memory we flee,

The stuff all flesh is made of,

Nothing more, ever, were we,

Except, perhaps, love.

Into memory we fly,

Hold me tight while we run,

It’s all right to cry,

Tears ne'er hurt anyone.

Into memory we fade,

Forgotten by all history--

But it matters not,

For you--you stayed,

Now become with me a mystery.