Unspoken needs
deeply held secrets
I hold them close to my heart
hidden behind the darkest mask
I am never free
from the masquerade
behind walls of my making
the darkness takes me over
and I am lifeless beneath the snow
the ache of empty years
the memories of words
that once were spoken
oh, this heart of mine
it longs for you
but the masquerade
is like the oncoming tide
from which I ache to slip away
to flow as a river and to sail
sweetly shadowed by night
towards the final shore
to you
© Ann Bagnall
Annie's Poetry 