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.

[Jazique]

That was really really good so sad. For any person who lost someone to war but yet for those who have a war that still remains. Nice job.

[Fantasia Allmighty]

this was so good and I love the feeling to it

[MJ Durston]

I like the idea you had with this piece, a lost lover - never knowing if they are living or gone but accepting the worst because you're heart just can't handle waiting. Unfortunately i don't think that the rhyming scheme flows to well and it makes it awkward to read, but apart from that i don't see how this poem could be anything but beautiful. Excellent work!

[ice]

A sensitive topic, done well, entity.
Poetry sure can stir the soul, this poem does just that...
ice

[Cassiopia Summers]

I love military pieces, and this one shall be added to the shelf of my favorites. (:

[WordsAndVoices]

This reminds me. It's a brilliant write, with lots of emotion. Outstanding.

[nono]

Sad, but it's very strong. And I could feel a lot of the emotion. I like it you did a nice job on it!

[Shaun]

A very profound poem with excellent rhyme and meter my friend. It tells the story of what many have gone through.

[Geralyn Miller]

From experience, I can tell you that even when you are "informed", as they say in officiakdom, that the one whose return you await will never come home; as long as the body has not been found, a small part of you still dreams.
Good peice, you made me remember.
There is a bit of roughness in the world, a little polishing will deal with that.