Two Goldfinch in Love
By John Herlihy

I am the ivory cloud flashing white light;
You are the gold finch with colors bright.

I am the golden dawn wrapped in your arms;
You are the velvety silk caressing my palms.

You are flying through the air writing my name;
I am following close behind as your eternal flame.

You cast your net around my every word;
I slip easily through like a restless bird.

When you are near, my heart overflows, sings
I will always hover nearby on extended wings

You are the one, my Madonna del Cardellino;
I am your songbird, el Maestro del Gardellino.

I feel your devotion as the shadow of my light;
I value your emotion as the light of my shadow.

Eduardo, she whispered in the seashell of my ear;
Eduardo, the word echoed, as the sea drawing near.

We know what lies between us, a thing sublime;
Water, air, breath, and especially love are mine.

Now you have vanished, Elena, I am still here;
Though you are no longer seen, you are still near.

You always keep me company; I hear your sound;
The waters whisper, but the ripples run aground.

The air is empty, but you still fill my empty space;
I feel you still there, flying beside me in your place.

Your smile hurts me; your laughter makes me ache;
I still hear its echo trailing softly behind in its wake.

I still spread open my wings as an act of pure joy;
Our love a thing forever that nothing can destroy.