The Walking Dead (Love)

Lashed mirrors, reflecting your gaze,
Behind which I might hide my maze,
Of thoughts, of you, of if and when,
Just musings of one sad, sad man. 

I’m not the one you fear at night,
I’m not the one who stalks your fright,
I tread my path, my own, not yours,
I walk alone, from shore to shore.

I write these words now knowing well,
You’ll read them, yes, and never tell,
My face from his, or hers or theirs,
You’ll never know that I was there. 

You’ll catch me at the bus-stop though,
A stolen glance, imagined, so,
While walking past, my headphones in,
To keep you out, nothing to give.

I’ll do my done with friends of old,
You’ll find us in the shadows, though,
Our hiding place, not yours, all ours,
We’re safest here, at this of hours.

And maybe if our fates align,
I’ll catch your hand, and then we’ll smile,
A whispered touch, of glancing lips,
And then I’ll be alone again. 

Alone, befriends, they know my threads,
And I know, too, their sorry dreads,
The same as mine, we are the lame,
The Walking Dead, upon the plain.

We give our hearts to each and yours,
Have given far too many doors,
Are still ourselves, unbound, unbidden-
Unwillingly we have been shriven,
Noplace, noone to hold our hearts,
We search in vain for counterparts. 

Cast aside, as coats of old,
Our friends to help us through the cold,
I can’t but count the times now spent,
Alone, consoled, within torment-
Having done what I could do,
I never hurt or wronged a you. 

I cannot comprehend this life,
Of love, and death, of inner strife
That finds me, or perhaps it’s mine,
The blame, that is, for I still try. 

And so we live, we watch and wait,
We true and brave of heart, of faith,
Forgotten as the leaves each fall,
They find the ground, as I still fall,
Into myself, that’s all there is,
That’s what I’ve found,
What loving is.