The fool...

I am a fool

A fool at love

I have no economy in love

I am not an accountant

I cannot budget

I am afraid I do not know

How to ration love 

To give in increments 

Just a bit per day

I want to love all of you

With all of me

Every breath I take

A day is so long 

And so far

Here take this breath

And this one

And the next 

...

Here take it all 

You need never ask

It is given 

All of it

Before the request could ever reach your lips

They laughed at me

In the city square today

They called me dull

And daft

And mad

[Why?] You ask

I sold my house you see

[Why?] You ask

Well it was to buy a gift...

I awoke this morn

Filled to the brim

As I lay in the soft embrace

Of my beloved

I was overcome

And my heart felt as though it might break

And then

My beloved opened his eyes

Oh what a sight

To gaze into that endless ocean of beauty

Magnificence defined

And then he gave me a gift

One he gives me every morning

He pulled me close 

And kissed my lips

Without fail

Every sunrise he gives me a gift

I felt I might explode

I had nothing to give so I,

I sold my house to buy him one!

[What did I buy him?] You ask

I wanted to give him my heart

So I went to the surgeon to see if he could get it out of its bony cage

But alas

He refused, he already has a house and has no need for mine so he would not buy my house.

He sent me on to the ocean instead

The mighty ocean made me blush with his flirtations

As he touched my bare feet with his salty hands

But he too would not buy my house

He sent me to the wind

The wind murmured

I could not make out

The muffled words as he spun through my hair

Off he went

As I sat down

Weary now 

Upon a rock

And shed a tear...

The rock awoke and grumpily asked

[Why do you break my slumber with wet tears?

Have you no shame?]

I am ashamed, I replied

I weep for shame

I have not a gift 

To give my love

He gifts me with kisses

At every dawn

I want to give him a gift

I have my house I'm trying to sell

So I can get my love a gift

But the surgeon

The ocean

And even the wind

Have no use for my house

And I no gift for my love 

And so I weep...

Forgive me rock

I meant no disrespect

Per chance 

Do you have need for a house? I said 

He must have really wanted to sleep

Because that rock

He bought my house!

And gave me a lock of his hair

To give as a gift

To my love

I was overjoyed

As I ran back through the alleyways

In the city, 

And across the city square

They all laughed at me-

[There she goes]

[The fool]

They cried,

[She has no economy in love,] they sighed

[She should hire an accountant]

[And budget]

[And learn how to ration]

[Or soon before she knows it

She will run out of love!]

And they shook their heads knowingly.

It was dark 

As I made my way

The jeering crowds having doled out their ration

Of taunts and criticisms for the day

Decided to scatter

Always economical

Maintaining their budgets

Just a jab here

And a comment there

Like tidy accountants

With balanced check books

Never a penny out of place

One by one

They shut their doors

One by one the lights turned off

Rationed

Saved

Economized

---

I walked alone

The quiet streets

The fool...

I made my way to him

He saw me coming from afar

[Gone all day my love?] He asked

[I heard the rumor of your madness from the surgeon,] he continued,

[He stopped by to tell me so himself!

The ocean too

Came a calling

He brought your warmth

That sly Casanova 

He made a pass at you

He boasted, and made you blush...

And then the wind

Mumbled at me

Murmur... Murmer, whisper... Whisper

What he says

I never can tell 

So he left me

The scent of your hair instead]

He gazed at me with his beautiful eyes

This love of mine

And then he said

[Thank you!] 

[For the gifts]

Confused I spoke

But you have not seen it yet

[Seen what?] He asked

The gift I have for you!

I pulled it out 

The lock of hair

From the rock.

It looked just like a pebble now...

I was mortified!

I hung my head

-

-

-

He pulled me in

My love,

And kissed me hard 

Accepted my gift

And held me close

...

A day is so long 

And a night

I thought

As I melted into his embrace

Here take this breath

And this

And the next

With each I love 

All of you 

With all of me

---

The wind brought the whispered sounds

Of the city folk saying my name

Quietly of course

And only a few times

Budgeted

Rationed

Economized

...

Calling me a fool

Just a knowing look in limited company

Just a sly word to the neighbor

Never too much

Just enough

Not like 

The fool at love

(fin)

2014