how does great love decay?

how does great love decay?

a splintered ship at sea 
after a sudden squall,

a lofty face of ancient rock
worn ghostly by degree?

perhaps it’s like a splendid carcass
paused, that cannot catch its breath

or maybe it’s a beacon flickering
before the banishment of past to past

all yearnings have their rounding out
with age yet glow long into dark

unless a savage quirk of luck
leaves one alone
and takes another unawares away:

then what?


Emanuel E. Garcia
February 2025