My Heart Held a Funeral

My heart held a funeral today The love I had for you in decay... I enshrouded myself in black While sobs my weak body wrack My face swathed in filmy lace So others the tears could not trace The requiem played in my mind No solace could I find By the casket, I sat still Forcing myself at will To accept my tragic loss I look at the golden cross On the box in which lies entombed That which my hidden feelings exhumed The idolatrous image of you All I held noble and true That which I had adored Which in my heart I had stored I had to bid farewell Whether to heaven or to hell Your image would take flight To bright day or morbid night The funeral must come to an end My heart in need of a chance to mend But, you...you are not dead It's only true in my head You are still alive And oh, how you thrive… Breathing and moving Speaking and wooing Teasing and dreaming Smiling and scheming Alive...deliriously alive And oh, how I must strive For you're close, still bright You fill my eyes with delight Such a sight to behold A heart I thought was pure gold But your soul…. Ah…your soul For me has died And I mourn and I weep As this secret I keep I beat my chest and wail All to no avail I thought you were fine Exquisitely divine… But what could I do? A fault was found in you One that I could not ignore And so I frantically tore My garments in lament I had thought you...heaven sent Today I attended a funeral And I know recovery will be long The secrets in that coffin belong I rise to leave the funeral hall Where from the pedestal you did fall Still weeping…weeping My wounded heart keeping The tale of the great demise Of your image in my love struck eyes Eileen Manassian Ghali