A poem by Gregory Richard Barden
Countless hearts and roses fall
For sake of heeding Cupid’s call
And yet I fail for phrasing, new
Imparting fresh, my “I love you”
For poets, past, have said it all
Perchance I’ll find the words inside
Your hazel gaze, quite starry-eyed
The limpid peepers, fair and fierce
That pity, not, the heart they pierce
Or pulses hurried, closed or wide
Could be, the words hide in your grin
And dance, demurely, with your chin
Coaxed to shine, as sound is swirled
(Like your smile), to warm the world
Dusted, soft – a touch of sin
Perhaps the terms lie in your shape
The curves, sublime, to finely drape
That, placed in motion, thus defy
All other graces brought to eye
And leaving countless jaws agape
Maybe the phrase lies in your hair
Soft, tawny strands of tresses, fair
Or on your skin, so silken – chaste
The unseen places, meant to taste
Adorned in only moonlight, rare
Or maybe, found in ALL of these
The words to bring me to my knees
In reverence of the reasons, true
That consecrate the wonder, YOU
And set my sifting heart at ease
But, I think I’m far more apt to find
The words to phrase this Valentine
In things that senses can’t impart
The YOU abiding in your heart
Caring, thoughtful, sure, and kind
A sense-of-humor – artful mind –
Dark and light and grey, combined
The body, heart and soul refined
Of all that I have e’er consigned
Yes, now my words … are Valentined.
Copyright © Gregory Richard Barden, February 1, 2018
