Love is life’s cruel mistress,
And life’s crowning triumph.
Love embitters the soul,
yet conquers the heart.

Love is never easy,
And will die without toils.
It is languor and sweat,
the power and rejuvenation.

Love brings this man to his knees,
pushes his face into the dirt.
It gives light into his darkness,
and delivers joy to his world.

Love grows in the wound and the healing.
It is the dusk and the dawn.
Love allows no passion without drama.
There is no love without pain.

Copyright ©2013 Buz Bono. All Rights Reserved. No part of this story may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of the author, Buz Bono.