The Gantlet Poem by I M Swan

I do not regret the roads I have traveled in life
And for the many wrong turns I have taken
I've no one to blame but myself for any pain
I've had to endure because I was mistaken

Many times I've walked through life alone
Trying to keep my head high
Searching for the meaning of my existance
Hoping I'd find it before I die

Time is my enemy, my future is blindfolded
Hope clings to me, never letting go
My heart enslaves me, my body betrays me
My mind I might never truely know

I am but a shadow in the darkness
Desperate for the light, but only getting rain
Love dances just beyond my reach
Always teasing me for a time, then gone again

Passion caresses my very heart but for a moment
Chained and shackled to my emotions
My soul screams for mercy
My heart cries tears for lost devotions

Helplessly, kneeling in the dust of love gone by
I take a breathe of courage and pick up my pride
Insane with loneliness, scared to care
I again walk the gantlet of life, nowhere to hide

With each step I take, the faith returns
Knowing the laughter I hear may be my own destiny
Making fun of my own mortal weakness'
To love and to be loved, for all eternity

Ignoring the past whispering in my ear
And the pain running somewhere close behind
I stumble along with my heart in my hands
Searching, but somehow still blind

I may give my heart away many times
Before I find my soul mate
I know you're out there, though my future's not telling
It's gagged and bound by destiny and fate

Shaking off the stings of lies and deceit
Battling the storms of hatred and cruelty
I would gladly walk through hell and back
Knowing you'd be waiting at the end of my journey

I'll know when my search is over
Both our hearts will beat as one, not two
True love cannot be forever hidden
And I'll step out of the darkness and into the sun, to you