El Amor Desolado

I put in the effort
and she the reluctance.
I the deep silence
and she the word,
I path and way
and she the distance.
I put the eyes
and she the gaze.

I wanted to hold
the water in my hands
and on the sand
I built my house.
I was left without hands,
I was left without a house;
I was a dark root
and she trunk and branch.

So that the count
of love would add up,
she put the body,
I put the body and soul.
She was all wind,
I all mountain.
I pure resin,
and she pure flame.

One dark night
she left my house.
My eyes were blinded
to not see her.
To not follow her
I closed the windows.
I shut the doors
to not call her.

I put black roses
on our bed.
On her memory
I put white roses.
And in the faint light
of dawn,
I took my life
to not kill her.

I put everything,
life, body, and soul,
and she, God knows,
never put anything.