LOVE
(For John Ratledge, February 1998)
by Dr. Thelma Hall
Imagine a force that warms our blood,
lights our eyes–a passion that rises
when we hear a voice, see a face,
feel the touch of one we love.
Imagine the hollow emptiness
when the passion is not returned.
Imagine a touch that dispels the darkness,
a strength that sustains us in our fear,
a morning full of sunlight,
a smile that wraps us in its warmth.
Imagine the ache when we reach out
and know we are alone.
Imagine a lightness of heart
that lifts the spirit and makes it dance,
a slow, swaying dance, smooth, sensuous,
a pounding of feet, a pulsing of blood,
a red swirl of motion.
Imagine the dullness of spirit
that steals the fire from beneath our feet.
Imagine a force that sends us reeling,
a pain so sharp its bright shards cut,
a flame so hot we burn to ashes
until we rise again restored,
a joy so sweet we forget the pain.
Imagine, try to imagine, a world,
a single heart, wrapped in winter
without a hint of spring.
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