Starless Promise

How can I try for the stars, When I can't even afford to keep it bright? How can I chase the moon through iron bars, When dawn denies me even candlelight? I dream of rings, of veils, of vows once said, Yet pockets echo where gold ought to gleam. The future sleeps on floors I’ve barely tread, My hands still building scaffolds for a dream. What gift have I but verses made of thread, Woven from hopes too fragile to endure? What altar stands for love the world calls dead, When bread and rent leave nothing that feels sure? Yet still, you smile—no coin could match that grace, A richer man with less could take your place.