Donna

My friends would never leave her be each passed and gave her a wink One could see, it was not to be it was driving me to drink.

Donna at 40

She was so stunning in her youth

my breath ran short when we met

She caught my eye, and with a sigh

had left me in a cold sweat

__________________

I pursued her relentlessly

'til finally she gave in

A beautiful mind,what a find

a cross of beauty and sin

_________________

My friends would never leave her be

each passed by her with a wink

One could see, it was not to be

it was driving me to drink

_________________

Adoration grew in my chest

but time told a different tale

We had distressed, what beauty blessed

as in time our love grew stale

_________________

"You're too much woman to be fair

I can see that now so clear

Such beauty's rare, a cross to bear

I have to let go my dear"

____________________

We're  beauty for a fleeting day

that fades with the loss of youth

Forget and may, upon us weigh

the merciless pains of truth

Author's Note

I was Donna's friend many years after that.When we broke up I had injured myself so badly I wondered if I would recover. We met now and then in Louisville where I once raced and called my home. I remember telling her that children would help her in old age. But to her defense she was so intoxicating at 21, I wouldn't have listened to me either. She had lost her boyfriend when I last met her at 40 and had no children. Still beautiful but injured like the first time you make a child cry. Her own parents were very old by then. My heart bled for her. For truth be known I had loved her since the day we met. That was 10 years ago. I haven't heard from her but once since. Yet fresh in my mind as if yesterday I remember her wounded. How it cut me so deep I cried! Hers was the eternal beauty of Cleopatra, both inward and outward her light shone bright. I had been blessed to be her friend.
I adored her father and mother as well. It was easy to see where her beauty came from.

Reviews

[David Lewis Paget]

It takes courage to renounce the thing you want most. I doubt if I could have done it, Tate, which necessarily meant that in my life, I was the one left, never the one to leave. You had the foresight to avoid the pain of future indiscretions, though you didn't get off scot free. There is always the needle of nostalgia to aggravate the wound.

[de_maruf]

beautiful

[Tate Morgan]

Thank You

[Anna]

That poem is beautiful, she sounds like a good person and although there is no sign of her, I wish her well.

[Tate Morgan]

She is a good person .What I remember most was the way she could make me laugh even when I was down .What a treasure she was

[Anna]

Beautiful

[Tate Morgan]

Some song birds are not meant to be caged up! But the light that burns twice as bright lasts half as long

[Anna]

:) Well spoken Tate

[Pax]

wow again mr. Tate... you always amuse me with your wisdom and honesty... for once in our life there will always be someone who will remain in our memories to cherished in our hearts and the piece/fragments of our soul left behind on to that past that will always be remembered... somethings are not meant to be but friendship last like forever...

another awesome piece my friend!

[Tate Morgan]

My memories come and go but the feelings i had with Donna were the stuff of legend.She was from then on the woman by which I judged all others

[Avocations of Amber]

You put so much of yourself in this one poem. Your past, your emotions, details of her, etc. It's easy for the reader to feel what you feel in your words. I also like your rhythm and rhyme schemes.

[Tate Morgan]

Thank you I am glad it touched an emotion in you.People always say I want to know what it is to truly be in love.I can tell you there is nothing like it !

[Muse]

And now we push the young people to do career first and family last. By then...they are so caught up in student loans and 70 hour a week jobs...time is spent faster than they can grab hold of it. I was almost victim to this myself...but then I saw how miserable all my friends and co-workers were...single, divoraced wealthy people...that were very unhappy. That's when I knew...that world was not for me. I wanted a family to grow old with me.

[Muse]

so we must learn to be poor in material wealth...rich with family....and smile...lol what irony.

[Muse]

the value of the doller is deflating....children just keep giving.

[Tate Morgan]

We all want the happiness of a blessed life.Every time you go home and kiss your children good night you reaffirm that you already are rich.

[Valentine]

Most of us have one that still comes alive in dreams or in the heart..I know I do..but he was not to be and it was my fault not his..and I still blame myself at times..Nice poem..Katihe

[Tate Morgan]

I agree I can say I never left a love that i wish I hadn't I seemed to know when the end was coming or the beginning wasn't working.So I generally cut them off But not always ,And so i too have had my heart wrenched from my chest and stomped on

[Valentine]

Haven't we all..Mine was my families view of religion..his,,Katihe

[TPK Stories]

You must be a strong person after this ... Another great write....

[Tate Morgan]

I cant say it made me any stronger.It hurt like hell I think it could be felt all the way back to my ancestors

[Mockingbird]

a sad tale of her fate. it sounds like you're saying she was too beautiful for her own good. but as time goes by and beauty fades sometimes they have to just settle since they didn't make good choices in their past. great poem.

[Tate Morgan]

Donna was every mans dream come true.I was always weighing my duties against my desires to ruin off with her in the straw lol She treated me like a king.I could never have asked for a better women.However the racetrack is a world unto itself dominated by young men On the chance possibility one would crack the armor and take her from me I had to let go.I had a lifer racing and worrying about her and her whereabouts was more than i could stand. God I adored her.But the vultures were circling everywhere and they wanted split us and take their chances .I wanted he r to settle down and have children to get them off her back and build a life that pays dividends in the future. A family a husband not 4 different husbands and 5 kids by 5 different men.She was way to classy to ever be asked "WHO DAT BABY DADDY?"

[Tina Kline]

A very moving and sad tale. Very well written. It draws the reader into this real life story of an episode of your life.

[Tate Morgan]

I am not proud of some of my worst mistakes But I feel pride in this I didn't break Donna Heart we simply agreed in the end.Nor had i given her reason to doubt me.In my life I have never intentionally injured an others heart,