An Offering to a Goddess

A sapphic love poem

In thine eyes is peace
Burdened with solitude

In thine smile is joy
Muddled by loss

How many things are tinged with grief?
How much is hidden by sadness?

When they say that there is beauty in pain, surely they mean you
And if there is no love without loss, what must I lose to gain your affections?

I cannot offer peace
I can try to bring you joy
But I fear I am all pain
And my beauty has left me behind

Grief is my name
And sadness is my mistress

Yet your smile weakens my blackened heart
Flowers grow from the cracks in my soul

What to offer the burning of your sunshine?
What can I sacrifice to the crushing calm of your oceans?

I offer my company
A sword through your solitude
I will carry your burden
To lighten your loss

For if I must drown
I would do so for you

If I am buried alive under the weight of our sins
I will do so for you

Oh! To see you smile
To hear your laugh
It is worth a thousand sorrows

And while your beauty causes me nothing but pain
I walk on this bed of nails for you

A sunflower amongst roses, my love
You stand alone
But I bask in your shadow
In the hope that you will mourn at my grave

And I’ll wither away
In joy at the last sight of your face