I walk to the local park,

make my way into the woods,

and sit on this same bench

nearly every day of late,

where I look to my left

and see the heart

that was carved into the trunk of a tree

at some point in the past.

I think about the happy couple

that branded their initials

into the bark,

wondering if they still feel the same

about each other today

as they did back then,

or if, like most love,

the passion faded

as their time together passed.

Chemical lust is a pulsing fire

of white hot light

that rages without reason

through the heart and mind

of those who fall under its spell,

but the staying power of true love

requires a steadfast will

that only a rare breed

are able to manage and maintain.

I’ve felt such flames

a time or two myself

while making my way

through this strange journey called life,

but in the end it always seems

that my fiery blood

fizzles out after being doused

by the water from a heavy storm.

Feeling lonely in a world

that is populated

by over seven billion other people

is a bizarre sensation, no doubt,

but at least I have the comfort

of these trees to keep me company,

along with a bit of shade

from the sweltering Summer sun

that is always trying to burn

the truth into my eyes.