Statuesque
In duty solely I persist,
But dreams we tryst—I tarry, twist,
Until I calm my heart, enlist
Impassive heavy stone.
With midnight fog my cheek is kissed,
To feel your mist, to feel you’re missed,
On fervent hopes and dreams subsist,
My thoughts of heavy stone.
But would my armor, bound in place,
My heart encase, My Heart; in case
I fail the station of my race,
O Moon of heavy stone.
Your beauty flows in fluid grace,
Your lovely face, my love efface,
Forsake my mind without a trace,
Unyielding heavy stone.
My courage fades at close of day,
To shy away, too shy, away
From tempting thoughts in duty stay,
With will of heavy stone.
But heedless would my passions stray,
To you, they pray, on me, they prey
And bid me longing to betray
This mask of heavy stone.
My scattered thoughts I cast aside—
I’ve too much pried, I’ve too much pride.
Your bat-winged army unified,
A wall of heavy stone.
And I in training, you my guide,
Your patient stride, your patience tried,
At last a warrior by your side
With strength of heavy stone.
Thus armed with righteous silv’ry light,
And I, Your Night, and I your knight
Would streak unerring to the fight
On wings of heavy stone.
’Til I must face the Nightmare’s might,
Your heartless rite, your heart less right,
But tearful, stricken down in flight,
I fall like heavy stone.
In battle to remove the blight,
A sister white, a sister wight
Grow blurred within my failing sight,
Upon this heavy stone.
Too weak to aid you in your plight,
Your pow’r a fright, your pow’r affright,
I now embrace eternal night
In vault of heavy stone.
Your gaze unending from the sky,
And watchful eye—and watchful, I
May serve you as in times gone by,
Unmoved like heavy stone.
Although your subjects may decry,
Their words be lie; my words belie
The hidden heart that would untie
This tongue of heavy stone.
So chisel sharp and sculptor fair,
My feelings pare, my failings spare
That I may through the eons swear
An oath in heavy stone:
To keep my heart within its lair,
My soul too bare, my soul to bear;
To you, my liege beyond compare,
I bow on heavy stone.
My comrades mourn, forgo repast,
In my stead fast, but I, steadfast,
Will stand on guard until the last,
My post of heavy stone.
The learnèd scholars, I outlast,
The sages passed, this age is past,
To prove devotion unsurpassed,
Like timeless heavy stone.
Yet time erodes and passions flare,
My heart a-wear, my heart aware—
You soon return, no more despair!
A crack in heavy stone.
From crack to crumble, if I dare,
’Tis nighttime, nigh time, know I care!
Your faithful guard awaits you there,
In halls of heavy stone.
And lo, what I risk dreaming of:
To court, my love, to court my love.
May armored greave hold satin glove
With hooves of heavy stone.
Your moonlit aura from above,
A light alighting like a dove,
But shines more brightly in your love,
My heart of heavy stone.
And so I stand before the throne.
Hear here, dear heart, you’re not alone,
But cursèd be this flesh and bone,
This heart of heavy stone.
A note in silence, hear it drone:
My song, a tone, my song atone
For failures that are mine alone,
Inscribed in heavy stone.
