The Demon Of Love Poem by Lawrence Ji

She lies in wait
under the bare tree
for the one who will never come
her flame,
her fire,
her centre.

he sits in the rain
staring at the cruel stars of destiny
who twinkle down
laughing at the pain they cause
he waits for her-
his brush,
his beauty,
his flower.

across the earth
the small devil
undertakes a jaunt
of misery
of joy
of curses
of rewards
he entwined their strings of fate
she cuts the marionettes strings

and the bodies fall
fall
fall
spiraling downwards
lost together
in their arms
no hope is to be found

as the Fates throw their dice
their Love is taboo
forbidden
as is the destiny of the world
seeking the treasure that has been stolen
he trudges through the land of snow
seeking the truth
the wind
the crystal globe
His Rose

as the demon haunts one last time
marking the Rose with cruel poison
the poison of joy
the poison of passion
the poison of Love
leaving her out for the boy of umbrage
to find the girl of illumination
or perhaps it is the girl of shadows and the boy of radiance

the boy is bleeding
from the thorns
of his Rose
yet the fragrance of the dead Rose
captivates him

and the girl
looking at the sunrise
remembers the letters
the words
the promises they shared
her tears come unbidden
plaguing her pristine face

as the boy
looks at the sunset
he ponders his life
his sufferings
her pains
that he caused
when all he can see is the void
repeating the infamous question
“To be, or not to be? ”