After a while
AFTER A WHILE
After a while you learn
The subtle difference
Between holding a hand
And sharing a life.
And you learn that Love does not
mean possession
And company doesn't mean security ...
...And you 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 open
With the grace of a woman
Not the grief of a child.
And you learn to build your hope on today
As the future has a way of falling apart in mid-flight
Because tomorrow's ground can be
Too uncertain for plans ...
...And you learn that even sunshine burns
If you get too much...So you grow your own garden
And you nourish your own soul
Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers
And you learn that Love, True Love,
Always has joys and sorrows
Seems ever present, yet is never quite the same
Becoming more than Love and less than Love
So difficult to define.
And you learn that through it all
You really can endure
That you really are strong
That you do have value
And you learn and grow
With every good-bye
You learn.
~Veronica Shoffstall
found me today. As have these books:
The Vicar of Wakefield ~ Oliver Goldsmith
Lord Jim ~ Joseph Conrad
Red Earth and Pouring Rain ~ Vikram Chandra
The God of Small Things ~ Arundhati Roy
Thank you, S. - I haven't read any of them before.