There must be silence
To fill in the gaps
Of what we intend
And accidentally bring about.

For there must be wine to endure
The revelrous night we spend
With friends
And the morning after
Is there to cuddle us to bed
As we lie awake thinking over
Of what was said with our faces
And eyes.

The hands that touched
And lips that parted
To express whatever it is
That made being together sad and beautiful

We subtly express with our bodies the stuff
That made winter nights bearable
To endure life's unrequited love
We shoulder each other
So we make a blanket that shields
Us from the cold wind of doubt

You watch the slow fall of a cigarette ash
Unattended by as this heart
Is lost in thought
Of how time peels away the masque
And how the facts as they stand
Must be.

With its stale and crusty taste the truth sets one free
For each bitter dreg swallowed from the broken bottle
I give a toast to you one who is forlorned
For one day can make up for all the rest
When love finally returns.