La Douleur Exquise

You made it quite clear,
And I should have been gone by now.
Back to the bowels of hell.

I should have entombed myself
Within the lonely lairs
Of an endless memory in sepia.

But I was too touched by your words,
Fell too much in love with you
To be without you. So what!

Its better that I be late
Than to not learn at all about my
True worth for you.

So, I'll take leave now and
Bury you within the windows
Of mindless conversations.

I'll carry this short-lived
Strangership on my shoulders
Forever, like a bleeding crucifix.

I'll talk to random strangers.
Pick them one night at a time,
Even when I don't need or want to.

And you'll then simply fade away,
Go away. Slowly, surely. One
Painful soliloquy at a time.