And For Me She Left a Dried Bouquet of Forget-Me-Nots
by Liam McEneaney

Two shadows side-by-side sitting in the park,
The dark descends 'pon them, but still they wait.
Hands fold into hands, the autumn breeze blows,
And grows a razor edge, skinning trees of bark,
To be buried as lords of old in state,
- Who tend the grave and ancient king,
- To whom emperors serve as underling.
They wait in snowy tombs, shadows folding into shadows.

Her deep and perfect indigo eyes,
As clear and cold as winter skies,
Keeping distance 'tween us like the sea.
And from those depths, a thousand throats
Sing a song of men and boats;
And a love that is as love and will ever be:

Black strand looping over your breast,
Love is as love and will ever be.
Back hand brushes across your chest,
Love is as love and will ever be.

Our only light a quarter moon,
Love is as love and will ever be.
It rides low, and I set sailing soon,
Love is as love and will ever be.

And upon the crest of the salt-soaked night,
Love is as love and will ever be,
I shall follow your heart like the northern light,
Love is as love and will ever be.

But on the raging sea there was a storm,
Love is as love and will ever be.
Its wet embrace does feel blood warm,
Love is as love and will ever be.

Downward I plunge, thinking only of thee,
Love is as love and will ever be,
'Till I lay surrounded by the folk of the sea,
Love is as love and will ever be.

The Mermaids and their warrior kings,
Love is as love, and will ever be,
Pledge eternal beauty and golden rings,
Love is as love and will ever be.

But above the crests of foamy white,
Love is as love and will ever be,
I can feel your heart burn like a light,
Love is as love and will ever be.

And now he cries in his sleep, and now he feels,
Time and the winds of autumn whipping,
Across his skin, leaving dark scarred weals,
And in his dreams her arms are slipping -

He slips into her eyes, in her warm blood drowning,
Love is as love and will ever be.
O' Ancient Sea Lords, rise! for your deathly crowning,
Love is as love and will ever be.

And awakens with his bedsheets strewn,
Sweat shining in the distant moon.
Tears mix with salt, tracing trails,
As a river grows into a flood.

Blue light fractured, blinding yes,
And scars across a virgin field.

And in the dark his fears are growing,
Around him sees shadows flowing
Across his floor like blood.
Alone he cries, alone he flails,
To find a lamp, but there he fails.

She casts a light, removes her dress,
She casts a light, her face revealed.

Eyes like folded shadow,
(their pupils in the lamplight glow
and upwards to her face they climb)
Lips form a smile from memory,
they ask: what time? what time?
(a clock sits aside their bed,
he can see it if he moves his head)
She lays a kiss upon my forehead softly.

And in her warmth, the final breath,
Of a ling'ring mis'ry put to death.

Your hair spreads a dark halo 'round your head,
Lips brush hand brush cheek brush thigh.
Tomorrow I shall be a corpse in an empty bed,
But tonight is a soft and angry sigh.

Contained in a heart like the steel gates of a cemetary
Are the thin and wispy shades of memory,
Dead trees silhouette an iron sky grey and cold,
And there lies love, laid out like a lord of old.
- In the shade of the aged and skeletal thing,
- For whom emperors serve as underling.
An ancient king in eternal repose,
Shadows folding into shadows.

Winds bear down, slowly shifting,
Snow into banks, dead leaves drifting.
Pure white canvas with flecks of red and yellow.
Under the sun's weakened light,
Under the grey cloud's burdened flight,
Into the razor winds, wherever they deign to blow.

Love now tend, I away on the dawn,
Love is as love and will ever be,
The world will end and I'll be gone,
Love is as love and will ever be.

The far-tossed cities of Europe,
Radiant in the glittering moonlight.
Spires winking in the distance, darkly,
In the deep narrow valleys of the night.
- Love will stand and will ever stand.
Jeweled ruins set in an onyx cup,
Held in an aged and bony hand.
While in the east, the cities of the sea
Lie buried under sand.
- Love will fall and will ever land.
And Jackyls on their feast do sup,
Darkness sheathes the sky as a glove,
Lords from their burning manses flee,
And still we shall ever be in the love,
- That will fall and yet ever stand.
Ancient eyes now looking up,
As cold and black as infinity,
As deep and deadly dark as the sea,
To ponder, through eternity,
- A diamond set in a tarnished band.

The sun for night means death and bears down hard,
And through fractured prisms shine.
Spilling light 'cross a sky soft and scarred,
A stained-glass bottle of brandy-wine.

Cast a light and what will fall?
Cast a light and what will fall?
Will it stick like river mud?
Or flow across the floor like blood?

As grey light sifts down through the trees,
Memories fade and grow to dim,
Like whispers in the autumn breeze,
And all agree 'tis good for him.
- Love is as love, and will ever be.
Until from a spark, a flame is taking,
Staking its lonely light to the dark,
The fire of pain dimmed to aching,
Dull, and sad, and stark
- As the gold of the ancient, tarnished ring,
- That emperors kiss as underling.
- A love that is gone and yet will ever be.
His silhouette shows him in the embers' glow,
Slow dancing alone as the cold breeze blows,
And grows until it folds into the shadow
Of shadows folding into shadows.