O Abigail, dear friend without compare,
You gave away your heart and soon you found
His courtship left you soaring through the air;
His kisses made your glist’ning world spin round.
When his undying love your swain professed
You trusted him, youth rendering you blind.
Too innocent, you gave all you possessed
To someone who abruptly changed his mind.
One of the many trials that youth brings
Is wanting nothing more than to be wanted.
Just know that you are meant for greater things
Than faithless men by whom your dreams are haunted.
In time your heart’s contusions shall be healed,
And through misfortune your true self revealed.
Your reputation ought to keep me far
Away, but there seems little I can do.
With all the world I’m ever on my guard,
But I cannot but let it down with you.
I wish you could forget your every care—
Drop everything, and meet me in the rain.
I’d run my fingers gently through your hair;
Your lips on mine would soon assuage my pain.
You’d keep your eyes on me; though it be wrong,
Still there are sins that feel less wrong than right.
You’d lead me up the stairs. I’d go along,
And whisper softly that we’ll make tonight
A memory for when you’re gone awhile,
For I see sparks fly every time you smile.
My mother warned me I had lost my senses;
In my blind optimism I said no.
My friends recited all of your offenses;
I scorned their call to run and would not go.
But now you’re gone I see it all so clearly—
At nineteen I was too young, don’t you agree?
In my stupidity I loved you dearly,
So I played your twisted games till I was free.
For every girl who’s given you her heart,
There is a pair of lifeless, burnt-out eyes,
But I stole your tinder ere the flames could start—
Like fireworks I’ll shine in empty skies,
Those skies that once were gray and now are blue.
To start afresh, I’ve written this for you.
[unfinished]
So let our love eternal be, or let
It die in flames, for only at its end
Can we weigh joy and pain, compute regret,
see if the high was worth the scars to tend.
I cannot tell how many men I’ve kissed,
But there’s still room to add you to the list.