UNMASKED

Music of the Night

Gerard Butler

UnMasked

Alas! I am undone! I said

You've snared me in your arms

You've caught me and I have acquiesced

To the magnetic pull of your charms.

For your eyes have caressed me

All night as I danced

And drawn me here now 

To the thrill of romance.

Take off your mask!

You said in my ear

And I had refused

As though I couldn't hear

And my hair hid me further

As it tumbled and fell

And you grasped me

And pulled me and I tumbled as well.

You danced me down the corridor

As the the musicians softly played

Pulled me into a room and locked the door

I do not know you, sir, I said

I was breathless, pale and frightened

But I did not want to go

I wanted to know why I wanted you

A total stranger I did not know.

Oh, but you do! You whispered

You just don't remember yet

So many times we've played this game

And you always do forget.

For I have visited you often

In visions and in dreams

Written you sonnets and letters

And songs that you could sing.

Painted you landscapes

 And roses, it's true

And thousands of portraits

My love, all of you.

I do not know you, sir, I don't

I've never seen your face

Though there is something in your eyes, 

Your voice, that I can't place.

Take off your mask? I asked of him

But he just bowed his head

Then all the light fled from his eyes

And looked at me, cold and dead.

I pulled away but he pursued

Took me by the hand

Pulled me tight against his chest

And the battle then began

I fought to keep my dignity

Though my dignity had gone

And when his lips trailed down my neck

I knew I stood alone.

Who are you, sir? I begged of him

My head against his shoulder

My heart was racing, my blood was pumping

And he grew even bolder

I am he, he said, He whom you love

And have for all of time 

How can that be? I laughed, kissing him

And his mouth tasted just like wine.

And then I twirled and pushed him away

Ran to the fireplace and cried

You are mad! I exclaimed, You are mad and mistaken!

I do not know you, sir! You've lied!

You will see me again! he said, coming toward me

Pulled me against him, kissed me hard on the lips

And my body betrayed me and pushed in to his

And a strange thrusting motion took over my hips.

What am I doing? I cried aloud

What is this thing you've done to me?

I know no man, nor have I kissed one!

(You are not blind but you cannot see.)

He said in answer, 

Striding toward the door

Then bowed and left me

Alone once more.

I waited minutes, then an hour

I waited for what, I did not know

I collapsed in tears upon the rug

And then at last, I rose to go

The ball was ending, the sun was rising

My father's coach waited at the door

I looked around to see the stranger

But his presence was not there anymore.

Then we drove away

As darkness was dying

While the orchestra still played

In the pale morning light

I hugged myself, smiling

 As we left it behind us

And I danced to the music

 Floating there in the night.

Sad days passed and long, lonely nights full of writhing

Of sleeplessness, fear and my poor heartache's pain

I wrote some letters, made some quiet inquiries

And longed to feel his mouth kiss me again.

But there was nothing and no one knew of him

The handsome man with whom I'd danced

My friends were giddy and hid their laughter

And teased me about my 'great romance'.

Then one night he visited me in a dream

A dream so sweet and yet so strange

He looked so different and yet I knew him

And he held me close and spoke my name.

You are mine, he said, and always will be

Promise you'll wait till you see me again

Promise me this, that you'll remember my kiss

And give your sweet love to no other man.

And I promised him that

And I promised him always

As he touched me and kissed me

All night till the dawn.

And we couldn't hold back

As we gave in to passion

But when morning came calling

He was already gone.

I saw him no more for many a year

At no ball or hall or even in dreams

And he slipped out of my faulty memory at last

And into realms of pure fantasy, or so it seems.

As I grew up from girl to woman

And then to lady who should be wed

I wanted to share my heart with someone

And share my life and share my bed.

My friends all married and moved away

Each with their dream and life and plan

My parents pushed me out into society

And bade me go, find myself a man.

But there was no one to catch my eye

No one to make my heart beat fast

I teased and taunted men I never wanted

And played at love that would not last.

And then one day as I arrived home

Arms full of packages from my many trips

A tall handsome stranger with deep dark eyes

Grabbed me and kissed me upon my lips

Unhand me, sir! I shouted, fearful

My packages flying, I failed to see

Who could be so bold to assault a lady

And then he laughed and said, It's me.

That voice, that voice! I knew that voice!

Those eyes so merry and full of light

But I was confused for no stranger stood there

But the man I had loved in my dreams one sweet night.

Do I know you, sir? I asked him, puzzled

Oh yes, you do! he shook his head

I danced with you at a long ago ball

But the man that I was then is long gone and dead.

How can that be? I scoffed at his fable

You are standing here talking this fine August morn!

And he sighed and he told me the strangest thing yet

For the love of you, I will always be ever reborn.

And we shared our lives and loved each other

Inseparable for many years

We had our good times and our bad times

We had our laughter and our tears.

Then one sad, sad day, he had to leave me

And he flew away then like the wind

I held him tightly till he said, Let go, love 

One day I'll find your face again.

©by Voo

Feb 5, 2019

1:50 a.m.

That's All I Ask of You

THE ANGEL CALLED POETRY

Heavenly music

start now

The Angel Called Poetry

She stepped out of clouds in a dream one night

Into my waning fire

Citing hints that she'd been sent

To ignite my dead desire.

Whispering words below her breath

She bade me to come nearer

In trepidation, I leaned in

But I wanted so to hear her.

Poetry is life and life it's heart

She said and waved her hand

And I inspire the world to write

Be you woman, child or man.

Give me poetry, I begged 

I need it like the air

For I've been blocked by mind distress

And no poetry is there.

Oh, it is there, my frustrated friend

And you will fulfill your task

I'll put the words within your heart

You only need to ask.

I'm asking now, I said to her

As she surveyed my home

Bereft of love and lover, yet

She gave to me a poem.

And what a poem that I did write!

As she whispered so softly

The Poem of Poems, a magical poem

The angel gave to me.

And now I stand before the world

My soul is bared and stark

As I recite in this bright light

What was written in the dark.

The angel called Poetry

The beautiful one

With a heart full of joy

And a face like the sun.

She came from the Heavens

And the Sea filled with words

Bringing them to those poets

Whose prayers she's heard.

And I know she heard mine

For she appeared then to me

Stepping out of the clouds

And fresh from that Sea.

Giving me words

That I've never used yet

Burning them in my brain

So I will not forget.

And I write and I write

As my glad heart keeps humming

And I rhyme and I rhyme

And the poems just keep coming.

But there is one special poem

Gathered out of that Sea

That she gave me to write

To bring Love back to me.

And I'm writing it now

On the door to your heart

And it binds us forever

And will not let us part.

Do you hear it, my love?

Does your soul hear somehow?

Every line calls your name

Bids you come to me now.

And I feel her still watching

From that place far above

The Angel called Poetry

From the land that's called Love.

©by Voo

February 21, 2019

1:08 a.m.

inspired by someone

from the Land of Love

on the other side of DREAMS.....

Place Called Love

IMAGINING YOU

Just My Imagination

Imagining You

Is it just my imagination
Or are you really real?
Are you really holding me right now
And making me to feel....

That all my dreams might come to pass
And all my hopes come true
Are you really telling me to dream
But dream of only you?

You need not ask that question, love
For there is no one else
That can make me dream such magic things
Not even my own self.

I do not know where you came from
What star from whence you fell
What moon beam dropped you in my life
For the sun won't even tell.

One day I woke and you were here
Where you'd never been before
Walking up my garden path
And knocking on my door.

The bluebirds serenaded 
The rose expressed perfume
The buttercups stood up and danced
With the moon flower and the moon.

And the sound of music filled the air
Pianos, violins
Saxophones and guitar strings
From the hands of holy men.

I looked around to see if I
Had died and gone to Heaven
For you were an angel standing there
That my heart had surely beckoned.

But then you smiled and shook your head
No, I am real, you see
For the angels heard you when you cried
And they have dispatched me.

For I was crying, too, you  know
And longing for your love
And wondering if we'd ever meet
And they watched us from above.

It's not imagination
No matter how you feel
We may have been born in that good place
But you and I are real.

And I have come to take you to
That paradise you seek
It's in a world you may not know
For your heartsight has grown weak.

The world that lives in here, you said
And pointed to your heart
The place that love has always been
Where we've never been apart.

And now we'll abide forever there
Where none can tear asunder
And you won't have to imagine me
Or ever have to wonder.

And I gave my hand and gave my heart
To the man that came that  day
Who walked out of my hopes and dreams
And here will always stay.

 

Kiss of Life

©by Voo

February 18, 2019
10:49 p.m.