“Plaisir d'amour ne dure qu'un moment; Chagrin d'amour dure toute la vie.” - Jean de Florian (1755–1794)
The joys of love are few and the pains of love endless in number, but in the reckoning, those few pleasures always manage to cancel out the infinitude of torments. Love shared between two is paradise, love unrequited is hell. Love’s triangles hide other agonies, duplicity, betrayal, faithlessness, perfidy. Love conquers all, or rather, all are conquered by love… Love is an ember, a warm glowing hearth, a wild fire uncontrolled or a conflagration – love like fire easy to spring into existence, easy to douse, but once started in earnest, easy to burn out of control and leave behind only cold ashes. Love can warm us, love can burn us. Lack of love can make us freeze all over or its escape can leave us burnt out.
A poem from two decades ago, from one of my journals…
The Long Ribbon of the Road
I count the minutes as they pass
The road stretches ahead an endless ribbon unfurling.
I count the seconds as they linger on
The road heartless, the miles to you unending.
The long ribbon of the road unwinds
And I attempt to catch the loosened end.
The ribbon of the road stretches ahead
My love for you like it, is inexhaustible.
Biding time as the road stretches ahead,
I weather storms, battle with windmills,
Cheat the hours, lie to myself, swallow my pride,
All just to be in your embrace for a stolen night.
Beautiful poem, Nicholas... Certainly hits a sore spot with me.
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