Ballad (29)

Mage reaches out, and tries to hold
His muse, within his arms.
Will she run from his passions told,
Or willingly share charms?

How can he keep her safe, but free
To be herself? He weeps
To think he might change smile, or be
Less than she needs, or keeps.

He wants only her happiness,
But knows not how to find
The means to her desires address,
And not her spirit bind.

All that he knows seems pointless: Vain
Scribbling upon the page.
He cannot from his books obtain
Those dreams, that make him mage.

Only his muse can fill his mind
With light, and bring to life
The future that his visions find:
Without, he finds but strife.

He knows he never had a choice,
That she is of a plane
Above his grasp. He has no voice
To speak: His dreams must reign.

                                       10 Sept 2003