By Mark Seifert
Copyright Mark Seifert, September 18, 2001.

          Nothing lasts forever, even love dies.
          Just like the colourful autumn leaves,
          it too, fades and withers
          becoming a frail and broken shadow.
          What was once robust and joyous
          is now tear-streaked and weeping.
          The familiar warmth is gone
          leaving behind the echo of desolate winds.
          Topaz, Pink and Violet skylines,
          reflective of my yearnings.
          Bright, and hopeful,
          still makes way for the darkness.
          Abandoned, like dreams of youth
          love becomes bitterness.
          The ache of a shattered heart,
          the loneliness of being one among two.
          These are the feelings
          that all people must endure.
          To know the true existence of love.