While My Love Is Away

In the dead of winter,
when all is bleak and barren,
when nature is hibernating,
when the very trees seem lifeless,
from centuries since untold,
Mankind simply strives to persevere,
to outlast the miserable cold,
to survive until comes the spring --
the spring with its rebirth
of warmth and new growth
to cause Man’s spirit to soar
and to restore his hope in the future.

In the dead of night,
when all is dark and hidden,
when predators prowl unseen,
when Man feels most vulnerable,
most isolated, and all alone,
Man’s spirit sags,
his heart fills with fears,
and his mind entertains dark thoughts,
as he awaits the coming of the dawn –
the dawn with its return
of light, of warmth, of safety
to cause Man’s spirit to soar,
his heart to beat with confidence,
and his mind to smile.

Each day without you by my side,
like the coldest of winters,
like the darkest of nights,
causes my spirit to fall,
my heart to grow weary
and my mind melancholy,
as I await your return…
whereupon the mere sight of your face
shall uplift my spirit once again
and make my heart harbor a smile.
Hurry home to me, my darling,
for you are the spring, the dawn,
the warmth and light in my life.


Harry Edward Gilleland      09.20.04