She stirs up my emotions with a glance
And sears my passion like a red hot lance.
I relish every smile she throws askance -
but how can I explain
my legacy of pain -
Though my soul may sing, it's not allowed to dance.
My crippled heart beats faster when she's near,
My jangled nerves play harmonies so clear -
Yet ancient troubled spectres reappear -
I have to tell her "No,
that's as far as I can go -
For you I must not shed a single tear."
You see
I've walked this road before, I know it well,
It leads me down towards emotional hell -
My destination I alone can tell.
My spirit, racked with pain
And so I promised, not again -
I can't afford to fall for her alluring spell.
My body shows no sign of ancient griefs,
The world knows nought of these ingrained beliefs -
I yearn for some emotional relief.
but underneath my skin
the fragile heart that beats within
Has surely suffered from a surfeit of defeats.
And so
You have the power to make me whole once more -
Or at a stroke, destroy me to the core;
I must in all regret re-seal the door.
I cannot take the chance
Of yet another failed romance
With you -
a lovely friend -
but "love" - I must ignore.
© Elwood Herring St. Swithin's 2000
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