Our Valentine Tree

Our Valentine Tree

We fell in love on Valentine’s Day.

The minute you laughed I knew.

I was destined to be yours, my love,

And I would be blessed with you.

We planted our special tree that year.

We cleared away the snow.

You insisted our love would always be strong

And you wanted the whole world to know.

You’re in my thoughts again, my love,

I imagine you under our tree.

Remember all the pledges we made,

And the passion between you and me?

The years passed by rather fast,

Then our kids were grown and gone.

We were there in our empty house,

Still together but each all alone.

My heart grew hard and I forgot our tree,

I insisted it blocked my view.

I was determined to chop it down,

Without even telling you.

It was early morning on Valentine’s Eve,

When I approached our special tree.

I was shocked and pleased with what I saw,

Then ashamed of the heart in me.

Instead of the tree being stark and bare,

Pink and red covered the tree.

Valentines and notes from all our years,

Proclaimed your love for me.

My love had been erratic.

There was little that I could boast.

But you were there as you always were,

Just when I needed you most.

My dreams and heart were renewed, my love,

By the valentines that covered our tree.

There was only one thing I could say,

“I’m glad you married me!”

I miss all you gave, my love,

And the tenderness you showed to me.

I want our love to be clear each year,

 As I hang valentines on our tree.

I'll Choose to Burn the Ice Away

I’ll Choose to Burn the Ice Away

Why is it so hard to love you?

My cold heart snuffs the flames.

I want to respond with tenderness and love,

And call you sweeter names.

Why do I let the storm win out?

My blood rushes to my ears.

I want to demonstrate my love for you,

And gently wash away your tears.

Why do I disregard the condition of my heart?

My priorities have always come first.

I want to show you how important you are,

And satisfy love’s growing thirst.

Why do I wait to prove my love is true?

My motivation to love has been weak.

Yet I’m still the man you chose to wed,

I can give you the romance you seek.

I’m tired of the excuses I make.

My love lies dormant inside.

I’ll choose to lead my heart back home,

And forget my foolish pride.

I will choose to think good things of you.

Sparks of romance will turn to flames.

I’ll be thoughtful and you’ll feel loved.

Our love will never be the same.

I’ll wake in the morning with thoughts of you.

My warmth will seek you out.

And all the questions I once had,

Love will erase each and every doubt.

If you, too, choose to stir the embers,

The flames will reach the sky.

For love that learns to burn again,

Grows sweeter as time goes by.

Her Eyes, Her Smile, Her Hair

She was the one I dreamed of,

But the one I couldn’t have,

I kept my feelings tucked inside,

Each time I came near her,

A part of my heart died,

I loved everything about her,

Her eyes, her smile, her hair,

In the dark when I was alone,

She was my lady fair,

Oft when we were together,

She would give a friendly hug,

My heart would flip excitedly,

But all I could do was shrug,

She belonged to another,

She was as faithful as could be,

Yet somehow I always knew,

He didn’t love her as much as me,

He treated her very badly,

She was his personal slave,

He tired of her eventually,

And drove her to her grave,

The love I had she never knew,

For he was always between,

But in another life in another time,

I would have claimed her as my queen,

There is little warmth left in my heart,

Each day it drops a degree,

Without her presence in my life,

There is nothing left for me,

I cannot endure without sleep again,

Yet my dreams beg for another chance,

Is there someone who could love me back,

And fuel the fires of romance,

This world is too harsh to face alone,

I want my heart to flare,

I want to love someone as she is,

Her eyes, her smile, her hair,

In the night I want to hold her close,

And feel her heart start to race,

We’ll share sweet love with new hope,

Together the world we’ll face,

The rest of my life will be about love,

No longer will I stand aside,

I want to share love with someone new,

And stir my fires inside.

Never Her Heart

She accepted Mark’s invitation to dinner,

She had been alone far too long,

He had gentle ways and a broad smile,

She thought, “What could be so wrong?”

He treated her like a lady,

Showing courtesy in every way,

She was inwardly pleased,

She thought it rare in this modern day,

Conversation was light and witty,

He was open about his life,

He talked about his children,

And even discussed his ex-wife,

Catherine, too, appeared open,

With no secrets left to hide,

She explained she was a widow,

But not all did she confide,

When her husband died tragically,

Her world came crashing down,

She had pledged her love to him forever,

And she still felt honor bound,

She enjoyed Mark’s company,

And learned to enjoy his touch,

But as for her past and her heart,

She wouldn’t share with him much,

If Mark was truthful about his past,

He thought she might simply faint,

Mark had once been a real bad boy,

While her husband had been deemed a saint,

Mark still had some baggage,

Left from when he was wed,

Yet Catherine knew she had some too,

Her first love lived within her head,

She gave Mark all she could give,

She was compassionate and kind,

She was willing to give her body,

But she couldn’t ever share her mind,

He wanted to love her completely,

But her coolness ate at his heart,

How could they share life together,

When they remained a world apart,

When she talked about her first love,

Mark knew he could never compare,

When they made love it seemed as if,

She was but wasn’t there,

Notes without any words,

She was the melody of a song,

Her mind was on another,

For her husband she still longed,

She talked about her first love,

Often with friends and family,

But Mark felt shut out of her life,

He wanted to belong desperately,

An empty life was not for him,

He needed someone who shared,

Catherine clung to memories of her true love,

And Mark thought she never cared,

He left one early morning,

He had nothing left to give,

His love had never been accepted,

And he still had life to live,

He wanted her hand in marriage,

But he felt rejected instead,

And now she wonders why he left,

As she sleeps alone on her bed,

Mark still searches for someone,

Although now his chances are slim,

He’ll wonder the rest of his life,

Why Catherine could never love him.

An Answer to Lonely Nights

She’s a wild one when she’s mad,

A tiger with slashing claws,

But very reasonable and calm,

Once she has time to pause,

A storm in the mountains,

But a gentle breeze from the sea,

Her friends fill her days,

Yet she yearns to be free,

She believes in fairy tales,

And all her wishes coming true,

But she’ll give her heart to a pauper,

As long as he loves her too,

 In her dreams she flits about,

Much like a butterfly,

Sampling each flower in a random way,

It’s always worth a try,

When her prince arrives,

She’ll welcome him right in,

Her heart is full and ready to share,

She’ll disarm him with her grin,

He’ll be the center of her universe,

As he strums across her heart,

She’s ready to join his life’s song,

And she’s eager to do her part,

He’ll enter her web carefully,

Knowing she is a connoisseur,

He knows exactly what he wants,

So he accepts her honeyed lure,

Her words are pure and clear,

Information that yearns to be heard,

And he will be there, face to face,

Listening to every word,

When they’re behind closed doors,

She’ll be shy, bold, a little bit of a tease,

And he’ll try the best he can,

A thousand ways to please,

Her prince has visited countless times,

And held her in his dreams,

He’s watched over her as she slept,

And planned out his schemes,

Caressed her cheek, each strand of hair,

Whispered sweet nothings in her ear,

Words that meant much to him,

Words she could barely hear,

 Words that were meaningful

 Right from the start,

“You mean the world to me,

I will give you my heart,

And treat you tenderly.”

Before You Were Born

She Loved You Before You Were Born!

Month after month she revels in the thought,

That her body contains what love had wrought,

She knows the changes that are taking place,

Features are forming, a beating heart, fingers and face,

Her own body is adjusting for new growth as well,

Preparing a temporary home for this life to dwell,

But most of all are the effects on her heart,

Forming emotional attachments right from the start,

Her heart is rapidly expanding as her child grows,

Her life will be changed forever as she already knows,

Her love will continue growing after the baby arrives,

Whatever happens around her, her love thrives,

She has loved you long before she knew your name,

Knowing the pain to come she wanted you the same,

Her love has developed and matured in every way,

For a mother’s love does not spring forth in a day,

When the delivery is over and she holds you in her arms,

She smiles and rambles on about your many charms,

Unconditional love that radiates about the room,

Unconditional love that dispels pain and gloom,

Finding inner strength she wasn’t aware she had,

Born of labor and love, she wanted a miracle so bad,

You are still that miracle, walking around on display,

The day you were born was her special Mother’s Day!

"Bankruptcy of the Heart"

Although you deceived and escaped with gain,

There was no way for me to avoid the pain,

 You claimed no guilt for my heart’s theft,

Yet I was emotionally spent and all bereft,

There should have been a siren to put out an alert,

I’m tired of being cheated, confused, and hurt,

I’m bankrupt and my poor heart is overdrawn,

I’ve loved unwisely, the conclusion is foregone,

You broke into my heart with honeyed deceit,

You withdrew my love and left me in defeat,

My love account depleted, my reputation shattered,

Then you were gone, nothing else really mattered,

Where can I go to find love to earn?

Will I fall for another who gives little in return?

I can’t trust my emotions for they can deceive,

Can I trust my thoughts? What can I truly believe?

Seven years of a broken heart till I trust once more,

Seven years of loneliness before I’m restored,

You were living high on love at the expense of me,

Even though you knew I loved you desperately,

Now in limbo because  love was all that mattered,

My love is depleted and my poor heart shattered,

You took all my love and left little in return,

Now I’m bankrupt and my heart is overdrawn.

"SuperHeart"

From the depths, myself I ask,

“Are you really up for the task?”

And then prepare for a mighty job,

(I don’t want to sound like a slob),

You might think it extra nice,

If you could call SuperHeart for relationship advice,

I would write love letters on your behalf,

Wouldn’t that be a laugh?

But what could SuperHeart possibly do,

To explain “I love you”, but “I don’t ‘love’ you”?

As SuperHeart I could really wail,

If your relationship starts to fail,

How could you win in this game of chance?

How could I spark your dying romance?

Would SuperHeart remind you of important dates?

Or simply leave it all to fate? 

 Would you call on me when love is out of control?

Or let life go on as the days unfold?

What if you were way off base?

No, I wouldn’t come and take your place,

And if there was a pick-off play,

I wouldn’t step in and save the day,

I think the job is too hard for me,

SuperHeart will probably never be,

If love is neglected it’s sadly true,

It’ll take more than SuperHeart can do,

You must be alert to avoid love’s loss,

I’ll be blunt here to get my message across,

Love is worth all you put into the task,

Love with all your heart is all I ask,

And through the years you will find,

The world will love you and your loving mind.

You Weren't On My Schedule

I passed you today as I took my morning walk,

You looked cold and hungry but I didn’t want to talk,

I was looking up, you were looking down,

I was wearing a smile, you were wearing a frown,

I didn’t take the time to ask you what was wrong,

I was In the middle of humming a very special song,

I couldn’t be interrupted, for I had too much to do,

But I promised to ask sometime what was bothering you,

No, not next week, for there are things I have booked,

I checked my schedule in case anything’s been overlooked,

“How are you?”, “I’m fine,” but I really didn’t have time to chat,

I had people to see and things to do, you know, this and that,

I was eager to share my world with someone, but no, not now,

You took away my joy because you were in my way somehow,

You looked awful, perhaps struggling to find something to say,

But when tears rolled down your cheeks, you nearly ruined my day,

“Good grief!” I muttered, but I know I wasn’t being rude,

I chose to be patient because I wanted to keep my good mood,

 “Shape up, I don’t have time for this,” I snapped in dismay,

“Oh, my!”  You were looking sad and putting on a display,

“I don’t care what your problem is, you’ll just have to wait,”

“I’ve got to go and smile at folks, and now you’ve made me late!”

I rushed away, leaving you behind, despair plainly on your face,

I was hoping you’d find someplace else, be gone without a trace,

When I returned you weren’t there, much to my relief,

I didn’t want to see you again or put up with your grief,

 Life is short and there was so much I still needed to do,

Did you expect me to waste my time, on someone like you?

Outside the sun is bright, what a beautiful Easter day,

Yet inside my joy is false, I feel shame for my deceptive ways,

When you were hungry and in pain, I wasn’t there for you,

I was thinking just about myself, and all the things to do,

I cheated you by turning away, I should have listened with my heart,

Yesterday won’t come again, so I’m asking for a brand new start,

I really want to love others more, wherever they might be,

The best way that I know how, is to begin with you and me.

Give Me Time To Earn My Wings

Are you the angel I talk to at night?

You’re right at my side when I turn out the light,

I encourage you to listen but I ignore what you say,

And yet you’re expected to guide me the “right” way,

I should be quiet for awhile and listen to you,

But I’m only human, so what else can I do?

I should be wiser and hold your words dear,

Because you speak the truth, I should have nothing to fear,

When you leave for a moment even in the night,

My heart watches for you, and keeps you in sight,

Are you the angel that hovers during the day?

Fanning me with your wings, keeping the heat away,

You’re playful as you flit and twirl around,

While I can only imagine my feet off the ground,

You’re forgiving when my words hurt deep,

 I don’t really want to give you reasons to weep,

But you’re one of the angels assigned to me,

Shielding me from demons protectively,

They’re always close by, urging me to run,

“Escape from your angel and have some fun,”

“Freely enjoying without someone holding you back,”

“You don’t have to stay on that one way track,”

The demons forget I’ve walked on that side,

I’ve scars and bruises all over my pride,

I eluded my angels while demons preened my vanity,

But like a prodigal son I returned to my sanity,

Worse for the wear, out of the muck and grime,

I stay closer to my angels, so much wiser this time,

I don’t always listen to those angelic voices,

And I blame only myself for unwise choices,

My angels guide me to those in need across the land,

And show me ways my heart can expand,

Are you one of those angels who’s constantly sharing,

And teaching me ways I can still be caring?

Whether an angel extraordinaire and wise,

Or still earning your wings while in human guise,

You’ve been patiently waiting while wisdom I acquire,

Becoming steel at last, hardened by the fire,

So if you’re my personal angel, or one of a troop,

Make way, I’m trying, to become one of your group,

For I like angels, butterflies, and fluttery things,

Just give me time to earn my wings.

"Love You, Need You, Enjoy You, Want You"

I want to listen to your heart as it sings to me,

The rhythmic cadence of a heart so true,

 Saying, “Love you”, “Love you”, “Love you”,

I want to swim in those eyes that beckon me,

See glimpses of what our future could be,

Seeing, “Need you”, “Need you”, “Need you”,

I want to savor the sweetness of your lips,

Sampling your flavor in small heady sips,

Tasting, “Enjoy you”, “Enjoy you”, “Enjoy you”,

I want to touch the softness of your skin,

Marveling at the curves and creases therein,

Hearing, “Want you”, “Want you”, “Want you”,

I want to feel your body as it talks to me,

Feeling the rhythms that beat so true,

Saying, “Love you”, “Love you”, “Love you”.

"Sweaty and Dirty" (Part Three)

Relationships aren’t easy, but when your trust is strong,

Your love will outgrow your heart, you can’t go wrong,

Right now your heart is focused on your friend,

Take time to discover what you want, let your heart mend,

So far, I’ve not been impressed with how you’ve treated me,

When you’re ready to accept me as I am, then we’ll see,

I think your heart is too small within your chest,

I’ll be your friend and nothing more, I think that’s best,”

I left her in her doorway, her gaze fixed on my back,

She had things to think about, things she might lack,

A few weeks later her call woke me from dreams,

“Talk to me,” she said, “I need to face the truth it seems,”

“You told me the truth but I thought you were wrong,

I didn’t realize I was weak, and you were that strong,

I want to know you and not what you can become,

You made me see myself, how I treated you like scum,”

At first we talked and shared about superficial things,

As we relaxed we considered what the future might bring,

Yet as we talked I wondered if she would ever love me,

Would she share my dreams and forget her reverie?

That was the first night, there were several yet to come,

I wanted to love her, I truly tried, but my heart was numb,

 She gradually changed as she looked within her heart,

She loved me for me, but I didn’t know where to start,

I was still her friend, I thought that was for the best,

And I knew her heart had grown, deep within her chest,

I knew I liked her, even loved her, but I couldn’t trust,

Was her heart really open, had she cleared away the rust?

Three months had passed, it seemed an eternity,

We went out to dine, she had invited me,

She said, “My heart has grown, deep within my chest,

I can’t contain my love,” (and perhaps you know the rest),

It was difficult for her to hide her fright,

Her small voice quavered ever so slight,

When she asked, “Are my breasts too small?”

She was exposing thoughts, fears, her very all,

She had pulchritude, talent, and intelligence,

Everything I thought was of the essence,

Her eyes searched mine hoping to find,

That I had forgiven her and made up my mind,

If I loved her, she needed desperately to know,

More than a friendship, she wanted love to grow,

Who knows if I was thinking, but I took a chance,

I wanted a relationship with true romance,

She was a changed person, she loved me for me,

A deep love without conditions, all it could be,

She had finally decided she could settle for poor,

She didn’t know that she was really getting more,

I was hired by a company that was starting to grow,

Within a few years I became the CEO,

And Staci got someone who would treat her like a queen,

Forever and always, and the time in between.

Your Eyes Speak From the Heart

(It’s your eyes)
I hear the words you are saying,
But your eyes talk too.
They tell a different truth.
Your mouth whispers what you want me to hear.
False words of undying love,
Words claiming forever.

Your eyes, your beautiful eyes,
Tell the whole story,
From beginning to end,
With all the details at hand.
Your lips are convincing
But they change their mind,
And move without the truth.
Your eyes, portals to the soul,
Speak from the heart.
They cannot lie,
They separate themselves from excuses,
They speak straight and true.
Oblivious to your silver tongue,
Those orbs contradict the words
That slide so easily from your mouth.
I do not believe your words,
But I believe your eyes,
They speak from the heart.

I'm Not Fooled By You

You stand there with that smug smile,

And pretend you are listening,

But I’m not fooled by you,

You are simply waiting for me to finish,

So you can say what you rehearsed,

Before I asked you to discuss us.

Don’t think I’m fooled by you,

For I’ve seen you a thousand times,

Giving out messages without listening,

Never appreciating our differences,

Always sure you had the right answers,

Ignoring tone of voice, gestures, and words,

Yes, words that poured out from my heart,

I’m not fooled by you,

You think by being logical and advising,

That you are in control of our relationship,

But feelings don’t have to be logical or reasonable,

You tell me what you want me to hear or to know,

But when you hide the truth, or deny my feelings,

The beautiful ways we could relate come to a halt,

Perhaps you’re fooled by me,

If I gave you the impression you could trash me,

Put me down because you thought I was weak,

Maybe you didn’t like my confidence,

Because you were weak inside and attacked,

Afraid I’d find out that you were pretending to be strong,

Perhaps you were fooled by me,

I already knew you had to lean on my strength,

But that was okay, for I also leaned on you,

We have been wasting energy trying to discuss,

Where the you and me should become us,

I know that pain is necessary to grow,

But I am so tired of hearing your answers,

When you haven’t heard my questions,

Perhaps you thought I was fooled by you,

You were sure I would fit your mold,

You were so calm and so in control,

But you did not try to accept who I am,

I wanted us to share so much,

But my feelings are still bottled up,

And I think I might explode,

Don’t be surprised if I ignore you,

When I see you my heart bleeds,

But no longer will I heed,

My heart was fooled for awhile,

But you can’t beguile,

With your smile,

Anymore.