A Letter To My True Love

My Dearest Love,

We do not need our love for survival, which is a mean thing.
We will survive beyond the illusions of death and time.
May our mingled light draw life unto life,
that our joy may inspire the lonely survivor to shout and shine.

We do not need our love for happiness, which is a personal responsibility.
I cannot be unhappy knowing who walks beside me.
Percieved distances and differences are but a measure
of the potential of our collaboration, itself a priceless treasure.

We do not need our love for pleasure, for sensual is fleeting.
The sky and stars, some wine, a blanket, and thou.
A word, a touch, ah, the sound of sunrise singing; quiet things,
moments; threads; woven to years of a future history's tapestry unfading.

We do not need our love for easing sorrow, for sorrow is passing.
Sorrow must be borne, and will not bear us down. Grief as real as death
stands not against love, but sorrow humbly kneels to love, bowed head knowing
the value of pain that strngthens and renews love's courage and forebearant worth.


Kahlil Gibran wrote in The Prophet:

You were born together,
and together you shall be forevermore.

You shall be together when the white wings
of death scatter your days.

Aye, you shall be together even in the
silent memory of God.

But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.

Love one another, but make not a bond of love.
Let it rather be a moving sea between
the shores of your souls.

Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.

Sing and dance together and be joyous,
but let each of you be alone,

Even as the strings of a lute are alone
though they quiver with the same music.

Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.

And stand together, yet not too near together.
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,

And the oak tree and the cypress
grow not in each other's shadow.

You just call out my name
and, you know, wherever I am
I will be there
You've got a friend.
-Carol King


Feed us to the hunger of our noble hearts
Consume us in our passion's flame
Beguile us with our bodys' subtle arts
The morning sun will rise yet again.

May we always be kind.
May we always be true.
May we ever be mindful.
And do with love and thankfulness
all we do.

Goodnight Love
-b