vALLEYS oF tIME
How my mind drifts
Into such valleys of vast sorrow
For those things I cannot have
And such a valley is this
That to climb out is so great a task
For on all sides there be a mountain
And in climbing this mountain
All I see beyond
Is yet another valley
And with this discovery
I fall back down into the river
I feel its cool upon my face and hands
As it relaxes all of my senses
And I am where I would be
But are there not voices who say
Go out into a new day
And climb a mountain anew
As it is only in the climbing
That one learns what is true
And what is true is this
Be it a mountain
Or a cave of dripping ice
I will come in search
Of a love I find with you
But why lead me on such a merry chase
Surely our life together
Does not have to be a race
A race from what to where?
Let us but walk hand in hand
By the cool waters of the valley
Let us climb side by side
Up the steep mountain
And with this union
We will also be able to fly above the sky
And walk in the clouds of eternity
For there comes a time
When a man and woman
Must let what they really be
Come out into the open for all to see
But to do this is not easy
For by doing this one must give up
So much of past concepts
Of what is right to one
And what is right to all
But with these words
I have backed myself against a wall
With all the pressures of this illusion
Closing in on me
That now what I must do
Is drop my cloak
Of what I must be
And you drop your cloak
Of what you think I am
And you'll see
That behind this disguise
Is one who is
As frightened as you
Frightened that again a hurt will be felt
There have been times
When my mind has held your heart
As we talked of us as we really were
I can only say
That all that is of a moment be
This is past
Come walk with me into a new day
A day of our making
Of our rules and let those rules
Be only ones
That the strength of our love
Can hold on to
Vanish past hurts and sorrows
And come
I will show you a race
A race to tomorrow
Where the world
Is young and ripe and ours
We have but to pluck
And make life as our true dreams
To flow from our eyes
And crash to the ground
Like the tingling
Of the fragile glass they are made of
We say
This will not happen
To us again on another day
So we build a wall to protect ourselves
From having these dreams broken
But herein lies our folly
How can one touch
This gentle dream within
If one must have a sledge hammer
To get there
And the sound
Of the tumbling wall
Is like Jericho shattering all
There is a way
Just go back to that valley
Now so far away
As we tumble down the mountain
To the cool flowing stream of love
Let this river of love be the door
Through which
We may reach our dreams
We must survive in the world outside
But not at the cost of the one inside
And so again
I will in my gentlest voice
Say to you
I love thee
And if this feeling
You do not have
And in reading these words
You say
This is not the gaiety and laughter
Of the world that you seek
I say to you
That the heart
Has never felt such laughter
As when two people
Set their sights
On a course of happiness
In a life
Where they can be free
Free to wander near and far
To know
That he does love you
In such a way
That words
Of jealousy and distrust
Are never thought
For as each day goes by
Our love
Will reach a new high of understanding
It is only through understanding
And a common goal
That we can be free
And I say to you
What better way
To reach that goal
Than by two
Unique parallel roads
For though yours
Be a straight line to the core
Mine be a wandering line
That crosses yours
And takes the same direction
But now I grow weary
From this long preamble
And perhaps
Its only meaning
Was to show me
That this love can never be
But maybe
It is only the weariness
Of the path I follow
That leaves me sad and lonely
As a tear comes to my eye
All I need
To turn that tear
To steam is you
Yes you
Who is just the same as I
But so different
And so to you again I say
Thank you for the bright moments
You bring to my day
And thank you for the love
That you have brought out in me
For now I know
Why I live
And if in these words
I have not said
All that my heart can offer
Then now I will say
Accept my offer
Whatever we think it be
And I shall take your hand
And no one shall doubt
That I will love you
For eternity
And if you think me weak
Or unable to such a stand
Just hold out your hand
And forever in your heart
I will be
Oh yes
My gentle lady
So very much
I do love thee.
Tony Waterfall
© copyright Tony Waterfall
