March 11, 2011

After a While

After a while you learn
The subtle difference between
Holding a hand and chaining a soul
And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning
And company doesn't always mean security.

And you begin to learn
That kisses aren't contracts
And presents aren't promises
And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes ahead
With the grace of a woman
Not the grief of a child.

And you learn
To build all your roads on today
Because tomorrow's ground is
Too uncertain for plans
And futures have a way
Of falling down in mid flight.

After a while you learn
That even sunshine burns if you get too much
So you plant your own garden
And decorate your own soul
Instead of waiting
For someone to bring you flowers.

And you learn
That you really can endure
That you are really strong
And you really do have worth
And you learn and you learn
With every good bye you learn.

~Veronica A. Shoffstall

June 22, 2010

Intoxicated By Love


Because of your love
I have lost my sobriety.
I am intoxicated
By the madness of Love.

In this fog
I have become a stranger to myself.
I am so drunk
I have lost my way to my house.

In the garden
I see only your face.
From the trees and blossoms
I inhale only your fragrance.

Drunk with the ecstasy of love
I can no longer tell the difference
Between drunkard and drink,
Between Lover and Beloved.


~ Rumi