I Will Wait For You

In sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow, I will wait for you.

The letter came that fateful day,

To tear you and I apart.
The weeks before you were forced on your way,
Were a blur of a blackened art.

For months I agonised for your return to date,
In sorrow deep enough for fiction.
Until on the dreaded list I read of your fate:
"Missing In Action"

In years that passed, I waited alone,
While no news came of the part of myself.
Hordes of soldiers were flocking back home,
But your file just gathered dust on the shelf.

I knew not if you were dead or alive,
I knew not what to do.
I had closed my heart, praying you would survive,
To love again, seemed taboo.

Time flew by and my hope began to dwindle,
Though I still clutched at your small chance.
But soon all was left was a flickering candle,
Quivering in its uncertain dance.

What was I to think, I was torn,
Should I love again or retain my faith?
Surrender hope or stay lovelorn,
Or choose another to take your place?

My anguish one morn was put to an end, 
When finally, I learned,
That I had to let go, could not pretend,
For I was awaiting one who would never return.

The letter came that fateful day,
To tear you and I apart.
But 'Nam was not where the fighting truly lay,
The real war was within my heart.

Reviews

[Alessander]

This has the feeling of a ballad, and the repitition of the first stanza (more or less) I think puts this in that genre. It tells a story cleanly, without much obfuscation or elaborate rhetoric or dense diction. The rhymes were solid, I wasn't even bothered by "fiction"/"action" like I normally would be lol

I once read that "A tragedy is never based on a character having to choose between a virtue and a vice, but rather between two competing virtues, like love of family, or love of country" and I found the stanza debating between "faith" and "love", or even "reason" and "emotion" the most interesting part of this piece. The theme "all is fair in love and war" also popped to mind...anyhow, nice write.

The only suggestion I can offer is that you fit this into a proper ballad format, but that's up to you, naturally.

[The Other Name]

Very Beautiful. Not only in the story that you tell the emotions you convey, so strongly and clearly. But also Beautiful on a literary sense, the type of writing that you used. Is one of the less common, but better flowing and melodic styles of poetry, that of which is often harder to use.

I applaud you, thank you for sharing it.

[Janice Fronek(red.panda..]

this was a lovly piece, i was happy to read it

[Michael Opoku-Addo]

A lovely heartbreaking poem. Excellent!

[Eliza K.]

aww, so sweet, its really good, and because you submited it to my contest, im not telling you how to fix it.

[Valette]

This reminds me of the poem " Do not weep maiden, for war is kind" by Stephen Crane
Very heartfelt and full of confused anguish. The repetition at the end was a masterstroke that tied the entire piece together.
Nicely done!

[hmm]

touching and sad write. poetic piece, enjoyed

[Susanna F]

This poem is so well balanced - the sense of waiting, of hope and of heartbreak are beautifully shown. The near-rhymes such as fiction/action and dwindle/candle didn't lessen the impact, though they did trip up the flow for me slightly. But it is a work of art as it is, and very nicely done.

[blakjassy]

this is so beautiful and full of a mix of love, sorrow and regret. very passionate yet simple. depicting a sweet and pure love. I am sure there are many who can relate to loved ones lost during the war and the scars it leaves on those left behind

[Star Cross]

This is one of your best poems that I have read. You have revived emotions from an important part of our past allowed the readers to understand that although the war was over, a lot of people continued to battle with their emotions about their beloved lost ones. I admire your writing a lot.