My heart found brilliant, shining achingWhere my feet tread, sober, shakingAnd the bottle, damned by youWas shattered 'neath your loving true

*   *   *

Tripped the night, her shining hairAnd smell, and flashing eyes were thereLike moth to flicker flame was drawnOne eager friend, and friend till dawn

Explosive yearning; young hearts temptedThough her heart stood so exemptedFaced with reckless, precious chanceUnanimous, a stolen dance

The ultimate in peril, yesDesire raged against noblesseFrench and full, her dimpled mouthMade reason fade, and passion south

And came the time when need was metA schedule drawn, arrive and getThe finest, fairest laid-out fruitThe schedule met, in time and suit

He soared and floated on that day!Asylum's hour; an hour's playImprinted, permanently frozenStolen hearts, so swollen, rosen

He wished and sighed, and wished againForever could repeat, just thenBut tiny world of lover's makingFate conspired, cruelly taking

Crashing, smashing, all at onceThe jig was up, she did announceA lesson, to be sure, a goodAnd losing two, alone he stood

Shame and hurt, three hearts were brokenThough two had obviously spokenMending fences, fences loyalFriendly, though not hardly boy'al

Lessons learned then, never brokenTouchstone heartache, as a tokenThough love should blossom unabatedHe'd let it be with just one sated

Close of chapter, not the firstAnd ending not at all the worstThough chance again would rise to greetThose lovers' fates were hardly meet