The Poem of Lore By Matthew Zepf

Part I: Silence

I knew you Before I met you I, a man upon a distant shore Eyes intent upon the horizon To catch but a glimpse of something true. I have heard your legend Your victories Your sorrows Done with courage Done with grace I have loved them all As I do love you. How I wish I could touch you The author of so much life To embrace your presence To feel such a heart With a passion like unto mine Pulse against my own I have set my barque to the sea And found you in the waters Between heaven and earth Made fast in friendship Anchored in trust But I have a secret fear That I will prove too weak That I will betray precious trust And sincere friendship With a heart that wishes In its silence Yearns That there would be but one boat In one silence Between the heavens and earth We are mirrors Portals, you and I Each within the other I want to share your days Invincible to prosperity

Invincible to woes Invincible Because of love. Your name is a prayer Upon my lips Upon my mind In waking In sleeping Your soul is framed in morning skies Festooned in stars on moonlit nights The forests play it on their branches Trembling harps from root to twig It is gilded on the crystal sheath Of every drop of blessed dew I know this Because I have walked these many ways I have looked I have listened All creation is enhanced Because you are in me I see this world Through your spirit Beautiful Fearless Profound Your lips speak to me Like those of the prophet Whose lips were touched by angels With a burning coal That he might be pure and true So the thought of your kiss Preaches to me unspoken truths Revelations unknown to me Which must remain unknown As there must be two ships That sail as one in secret Between waking and sleeping Entwined in your dreams Or my dreams Or our dream Woven by our whispering thoughts Speaking the language of hearts That happen in time But stay framed in forever

As long as we remember.

Part II: Speech

From Adam's rib was made woman Yet what is a rib But a bar In a cage For a heart It was Eve who showed Adam How to set his heart free And so you have been this Eve for me Loredana Whose children are already loved Before even your womb's embrace Whose heart beats fierce as a lover Beats steady as a mother Tower of femininity and strength Devoted as Judith Loyal to your heart You dare not whisper your dreams Lest they be taken from you But you dream boldly still And you will triumph For your creed is love And if your Faith is challenged I will believe for you Steady you in my arms Kiss away your tears Each one That you might feel love's glow And remember who you are As you remind me In the silence of words Never spoken.