Standing Before the Pillars of Petra
by Steven Craig
All the great writers are unknown...
Like the unknown soldiers... who fought and died and remain unknown.
Writers write of deep feelings that are there for the moment, and then, are gone.
Writers take the words from their hearts, and put them to paper...
Tormented by some great gift that they do not understand.
You see... no matter which way I turn, there is a fight...
A fight for a heart, for the time to appeal to that heart, to fill that heart.
The great fight that is now before me is past survival, safety.
It is touching.... the simple human touch...
A touch to me is worth all the words I could ever write.
A simple touch says more than all of life will ever say.
Missing that touch too long destroys happiness
Turns people cold to others.
I am fighting that cold...
I do not wish to become a cold and uncaring person
I was brought up to fight, not to surrender.
But fighting takes more than courage and the will
One must have a hope to win
And when I see no hope, it is a bitter contest of the wills...
One voice saying go, go on, the other saying give it up, give in.
Why do you say you have so little?
I see a great fortune in your life.
Intense love... great humor....
A tenderness and loyalty second to none
I am not talking money my Love.
That is not a wealth I admire
I admire wealth of the soul
I admire you more than you would ever realize
You have the love of life few do
And it shows when we are together
It is a happiness for me... a rare moment... one that will be remembered always
PETRA!!
You have a wealth that I will never obtain...
It is one that breaks into even my shell, and fills the cold corners with light
And when you are feeling bad I rack my brain for ways to help you
And when you are happy, I enjoy sharing that happiness
It is a moment that people dream about and most never realize
It is a moment of being just ourselves
No pretenses...no fancy suits..
Just honest and caring and loving people
It is a value beyond any gem
It is said with a smile and a few tears ...
I am a man that does know of tears ...
They have a salty taste on the lips when they reach them ...
They feed the salty waters of the oceans ...
A sea that in need, now can be dipped from to take from it the strength
To go on with life for another day
It seems that all my happy moments have been just before
Something precious is taken from me...
You are scared of dying .... as long as I live and hold you in my heart,
You will live and will have no need of that fear.
Just remember ... you are worth the time and the attention
And the care and the love of this one man.
You can never again say that you are not worth something to anybody ....
And that will make me smile from time to time ... forever ...
Sometimes crying is a wonderful thing ...
It helps one feel so closely what one tries so often to hide ...
There is in the background, a piano playing ...
Softly
One key at a time
Like water dripping
It echoes through the room
Punctuating each tear drop
As they hit the pool below
Ripples racing away, ... fading, ... fading, ... gone.
And then the piano plays a cord.
A feeling is felt deep inside
Resonating
It is alive
Being alive is life.
Being afraid is death
You know what I choose ...
Yes ...
We are that, we are alive
We are alive ...
And feeling the better for it.
And I hold the hand that is dear to me
I feel its warmth, a tenderness that touches me
Here is the arm of the one I love
Long and slender, coursing with the life and energy I adore
I hold her arm against my chest, and look into her eyes
I can see there the pools of love that I filled with my tears through the years
And I take from her cheek, a few in return
Upon my finger tip
I touch them to my mouth
And on the tip of my tongue, I feel their warmth
And taste the bittersweet of the symphony of her life
And my heart beats in unison with her for a moment more.
One day ... someday ... it is a dreaded time ... someday.
I will not abandon my Love
I may go away from time to time, to clear the air within me ...
But I will not abandon my Love.
Once I found that person ...
And once I stood at the edge of time ...
And made her realize that I was there in her life
I never forced her to do anything ...
But I showed her that there was someone there
Someone who loved her and understood her
Would care for her and give her safety and fight for her to the last
Would give his life for her
And do so with a smile
It is a wonderful thing in my life to have found her
To remember her
To think about her going on with her life and being well
And happy and finding all the things she wants
Love is always a giving thing
It takes not
It gives, it pours
It is a freedom worth all the work
When I love, it is Gods hand that moves mine
And my hand will move only to that one end
To care beyond caring
To give beyond giving
To remember beyond remembering
To be forever
One that knows the importance of that life ... Yes ...
I will keep you close to my heart my love... forever.
06/23/2006
