He Had Loved Only Two Women

He had loved

only two women

in his life…

The first one, taken away

from him all too soon

by death's sudden

relentless grip,

way before he could even unveil

the words he wanted to say,

the feelings he kept in his heart.

And the second one,

who came into his life

many years later…

bringing sunshine each time she smiled,

her eyes sparkling and merry,

her voice a song on her lips,

warming his cold, broken soul.

Try as he might

to not mind the change

slowly happening inside of him,

he could not deny

the stirrings his heart made

whenever she was near,

awakening feelings he'd long forgotten.

As the days went by,

he saw more and more of her smile.

And although he resisted

what warmth it offered,

he knew such feat was in vain

for he could not help but drown

in her sparkling brown eyes.

But he was torn between

what was and what is yet to be,

for although he knew

that he had grown

to love this girl with the sunny smile,

what is to become of the memory

of the girl he first loved?

Would it be an act of betrayal,

would it hurt her beautiful soul?

He could not help but ask himself.

But as if a sign from the heavens above,

a gentle breeze blowing to ruffle his hair,

a warmth whirling around his body,

engulfing him in an embrace and a final goodbye.

He looked up, tears in his eyes

as he understood what it meant.

He was given the answer he sought…

and as he broke down

and fell on his knees clutching his heart,

he knew she had crossed the barrier of death

to let him know he was free.

But just when he finally

opened his heart to a love

that held such happiness

and promised the beginning

of new memories,

life could not have played

a crueler twist of fate.

Here he stood once more

a bouquet of flowers in one hand

and a tear-stained letter on the other,

staring at the casket being lowered down

which held his beloved,

lifeless and devoid

of what joy and warmth she used to be.

A love unveiled and shared

for just a mere glimpse

of a lifetime

and a day,

before death's clutches

came to claim what it now owned

and ripped his heart yet again.

He had loved

only two women

in his life…

Both such gentle, happy souls

as beautiful as the rising moon,

both he dearly loved and adored

but taken away from him all too soon.

Hazel

04.19.18