Love or Duty

The heart hurts with love denied,

Left is duty, with dull rhythmic beats;

Love lasts, endures, holds fast forever,

Duty lives in slaves quarters.

Desperately waging, breathe of the soul,

The heart seeks love, was made for love;

Yet duty at very best,

Only a dim-lit path to drudgery.

Loves languish, duties dissent,

Love satisfies, while duty starves;

Love lives, duty dies,

Love forgives, duty seeks alibi.

Love and hope ever patient,

Silent and strong;

Ponders not obstacles,

but leaps over fiery skies.

Lost loves may break and shatter,

Or two find only one exist;

The other bound with duty,

Does one criticize?

Where love assigns its bonds,

Heart follows,

Love not lust,

Dreams come true;

Duty disappears forever.

A bird unbidden sings,

With freedom of flight;

Love speaks with the eyes,

Gentle as the softest down,

Love holds dear.

Oct. 24, 1999