UNQUENCHED FIRE

THERE YOU WERE 
SITTING AT THE BAR,
LOOKING BEAUTIFUL AS ALWAYS,
LIKE A RADIANT STAR.

AS THE JUKEBOX PLAYED 
OUR FAVORITE SONG,
I GRABBED THE MICROPHONE 
AND BEGAN TO SING ALONG.

YOUR DATE WERE DAZZLED BY YOUR SMILE,
AND SO WERE I,
BUT HE NEVER KNEW THE DISTANT THOUGHTS 
THAT WERE SHELTERING 
BEHIND YOUR CLOSED EYES.

OUR SUNDAY EVENING STROLL IN THE PARK,
AND THE MANY CONVERSATIONS WE HAD
OVER COFFEE LATTE AFTER DARK. 

THE WAY I HELD YOUR HAND
GENTLE.. BUT STRONG,
THE EXPRESSION OF MY LOVE FOR YOU,
UNDOUBTEDLY COMPELLING, 
AS SOFT, AS THE SETTING SUN.

BUT SOMETHING WENT WRONG 
ALONG THE WAY,
YET TEN YEARS SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY,
AND EVEN THOUGH YOU NOW WEAR HIS RING,
IT IS EVIDENT BY YOUR SMILE,
THAT DEEP IN YOUR HEART,
MY VOICE STILL SINGS.

WILFORD BARKER.