A ripple from
the distant shore
surrounded me, Etching
a place
in a void hidden
in my lost words,
where man can only
be recognized
in the heart
of a woman.

We transcended
to the stars
on an early
Sunday morning.

So cavalier
to all those around us,
we made love
on the hidden pages
found floating
in a bottle,
amidst a tempestuous
sea.

Passion has its price to pay.
You slipped away from me
under a cloudless sky,
standing alone
to fight the darkness
with every muscle
in your body.

The strength of your faith
holds strong,
forgiveness found
in a whisper.
Mercy falls
with the rain.

Freedom and bells will ring,
filling the space
endured in that hour.
All that you succumb to
will fall below your feet.

What is twisted apart
will be made whole again.

Venus,
I see you in the twilight,
in the distance
on a twinkling shore.

This is a dedication to Sherry. A dear friend who writes poetry. She has an illness that keeps her away from all of us who need her wonderful words. Tim