Angel L Villanueva

Should Words Fail Me

Should I be lying on our bed
As darkness waits for my last breath,
Upon your face I wish to shed
My one last glance, then laugh at death.

Should frailty cause my arms to die,
And I'm unable hugs to share,
Please know with every breath I sigh,
My love for you I do declare.

Should darkness veil my aging eyes,
And keep your lovely face from me,
I will reprise the smile I prize,
Within my mind, where I can see.

Should words then fail to freely flow
From my old lips to say goodbye,
With my last breath you'll surely know
How deeply you are loved... and why.

www.angellionel.com

Unforgotten

Alone I sit as waves lap at my feet,
While distant calls of gulls the quiet break.
The sand gives way with waters in retreat,
The waves that fail to wash away my ache.

It has been long since she last said goodbye,
So many years ago when we were young.
And yet I can't let go, though I do try,
For images of her my heart has strung.

Those images caress my pleading mind;
I wonder why she left me then to die.
The answer that I seek I fail to find;
In endless whispers I keep asking, why?

The sleepy sun begins to close its eye,
And I my own then close to think of her.
My trembling lips attempt to bid her bye,
But only feebly manage words to slur.

I write her name upon the dampened sand,
And see her graceful beauty once again.
A wave begins to stretch and spread its hand,
Then carries her away, but not the pain.

www.angellionel.com

My Belle

This night I wonder, with a sigh,
As she lies here right next to me,
What would have been, along with why,
My life today without the we.

Would I be happy, or be sad?
Would I feel empty, even lost?
Would I regret a life not had,
If our two paths had not then crossed?

I frown to think my life alone,
To never have her form to hold,
With thoughts at night of this unknown,
That dreamers dream from time untold.

And yet it’s silly that I dwell
On thoughts of sadness this late night;
For she has been my lovely belle,
Since we first met, so life is right.

www.angellionel.com

Her Vow

Along the banks of River Rhine,
She walks alone tonight.
Her eyes are fixed toward the sky,
To find a comet's flight.

She'll name it for the one she lost,
When death approached one night,
To carry on his noble name,
Where stars are born in light.

Cologne and Basel, Strasbourg too,
Observe with keen delight,
For from her lips now flows a song
That only angels write.

Her words of love move heavenward
As tears of pain cascade.
She speaks of him with tenderness,
And vows his name won't fade.

www.angellionel.com

Raindrops Call

So lonesome is this dreary day,
While watching rain from the café.
My hot drink gleams like blackest oil,
As sights of her my thoughts uncoil.
'Twas long ago, in budding years,
I filled my void with pleading tears.
I was naive, too young to know,
The pain of heart that love can sow.
Her amber skin, kissed by the sun,
Was like the softest fabric spun.
Her walk and smile would brighten days
When sadness hung like foggy haze.
Her eyes were pairs of burning coal
That lit aflame the heart she stole.
Her pouting lips my breath would take,
Which moved my heart with love to wake.
But like all tales of ages gone,
Where love is young, like early dawn,
The brighter light can soon expose
Infatuation's gasping throes.
Yet here I sit as raindrops fall,
I hear one voice, for her they call;
Like tears I shed the day she left,
Like tears I shed the day she left.

www.angellionel.com

Walking On A Rainbow

My light scarf flutters with the breeze
As I walk by the barren trees.
Their leaves a carpet spread for me,
Of colors autumn has set free.
On yellow, red, fine gold and brown,
My steps alight on autumn's gown.
Meanwhile my thoughts reflect on you,
And wish you here to share my view.
The hues of fall, in tints of red,
Of gold and yellow, trees have shed.
I smile while dreaming we could walk,
On top a rainbow as we talk.

www.angellionel.com

When We Met

Remember dear, the first time that we met?
'Twas sunset then, a time I won’t forget.
We walked and talked; I lost all track of time.
To win your love, great mountains I would climb.

Your smile had kept my heart in constant race;
It cried to me that your love I should chase.
Your laughter reached my deepest part within;
A song so sweet, I wore an endless grin.

With every tilt your head had made, I sighed,
And words of love for you fast-flowed inside.
We said goodnight and shared a gentle smile;
I danced back home, like Fred Astaire, in style.

I slept that night with dreams of only you;
With every scene my fondness only grew.
I made my mind your hand to then pursue,
To be my wife, for whom my love is true.

It’s now been thirty-six grand years to date;
Through good and bad, our love did not abate.
Each year my love for you grows stronger still;
With dearest warmth I seek your heart to fill.

www.angellionel.com

Tears For Yesterday

For yesterday she cries in pain;
Her endless tears, cascading rain.
She begs tomorrow not to come,
A life once shared has left her glum;
But time accedes to none its gain.

Yet pleads her lips cry out in vain,
On knees she prays her tears to drain.
She hopes that time will cede her hum,
For yesterday.

The night rolls on without restrain,
And so she wails, her heart is slain.
In silence now she curls while numb,
To sob and curse her sad outcome.
When dawn arrives, her lips refrain,
For yesterday.

www.angellionel.com

Together

Too fragile to stand on their own,
They lie, side by side, holding hands.
The ones who have cared for them cry,
Then see them smile and pass away.
Those many years shared, they treasured.
Together, love had made them strong;
Till the end, holding hands, in love.

www.angellionel.com

Lovely Wife

To what should I compare my lovely wife?
To crimson roses blooming in the sun?
For these in reddest red are full of life,
Yet none, not even one, has her outdone.

Her smile is like the brightest of the stars;
Can moon and sun ablaze then shine as bright?
Ne’er ever have I seen of reddish Mars
The blush of red on lips I kiss at night.

Her copper skin is soft, like silken thread,
And when she lithely walks my breath she holds.
Her bosom bears my head when tears I shed;
Her arm of tender love around me folds.

Compare her then to life is what I’ll do,
For every breath I take she grants to me.
With gentle words of love she utters true,
My fondness grows so deep it fills the sea.

www.angellionel.com

Till Death Us Part

I remember years gone by,
Married young, yet hopeful eyes.
Days and Nights of that July,
Thirty now, plus six our ties.

Happy days and blissful nights,
Times of ache when we were pained.
Through it all we kept our sights
On our love, from hate abstained.

Here we are as time has passed,
Best of friends is what we are.
Looking back into our past,
Treasured moments our memoir.

Strongly etched upon my heart,
Words of love for you do burn;
Solidly till death us part,
Holding hands, to dust return.

www.angellionel.com

From Now On

From now on, set our hearts ablaze
With kisses from your ruby lips.
Your lively eyes, intrigued they gaze;
Full lips then yield to lustful nips.
Beside your frame my body lies,
Your shape I taste with hungry eyes.
I've craved this moment here with you,
And thousands more I'll crave again.
I will my love declare anew,
And never will it start to wane.
Our bodies seek to meld as one,
Entwined in trust, for love has won.

www.angellionel.com

Intangible

I rise this morn with thoughts of you,
A graceful girl that I once knew.
The shore calls out a warm invite,
To walk in search of time once bright.

The surf then plays melodic tunes,
As it caresses sandy dunes.
Soft sand gives way to stepping feet;
The rising sun with smiles I greet.

The gulls in playful circles fly,
With calls that lace the morning sky.
Reminders of the walks we shared,
When once our hearts where singly paired.

But now all that remains of you,
Are windy whispers I can't view.
Intangible as you've become,
To gentle whispers I succumb.

www.angellionel.com

This Leaf

Oh, this leaf!
This leaf to my chest I cleave!
For it holds within itself
The image of your lips so sweet.
How I crave your scented breath,
When your lips descend on me.

Oh, this leaf!
So luscious it looks to be!
As your lips its shape resembles,
In crimson hues its color bleeds.
How I love to feel the softness,
When your lips descend on me.

Oh, this leaf!
How can I ever release!
When apart I am from you,
It reminds me of what can be.
How can I contain this heart,
When your lips descend on me.

www.angellionel.com

I Love You

Today my heart in pain cries out for you,
As somber thoughts play out what we once held.
Recalling days gone by when we were two,
A life of dreams where hearts with love had swelled.

Your sweetened kiss, bestowed upon my lips,
Had sent my joyous heart to heaven’s gate,
Where widened smiles the sun would then eclipse,
And we with words of love then pledged our fate.

I loved you more with every passing day,
A treasure I adored with joyful pride.
But then your heart was turned to ashen gray,
And pierced my own when you to it had lied.

But time has failed to douse my love for you,
A love that dreams each night in flames alight.
When dawn arrives it finds that beaded dew
Has gathered on sad eyes at morning light.

In songs they’ve flowed from lips of poor and kings,
Still I recite the words as if they’re new;
This soul in tears to you forever sings
With all my heart, I love you! I love you!

www.angellionel.com

Anguished Tears

A cup of hot tea keeps her company
while she peers through her window;
happy images replay in her mind
as her reflection shares her gaze.

Long ago they met — the stalwart
handsome man and the shy young maiden.

She had fallen madly in love with him,
and gave him her heart; he loved and
treasured her, the dear love of his life.

They married and became a family;
children and grandchildren their joy!

Sitting there, she muses about their
life together, the good times and the
hard times; the days of sorrow and days
of delight; there were years full of
challenges, while others knew no end
to happiness.

She would gladly do it all over again,
except for the one day when death
came to visit and took him away,
leaving her harrowing in great grief;
no, that is not a day she could live
through again.

As she enters the last of her fading
thoughts, tears cascade down her face,
droplets sinking into her cooling cup of
tea.

She brings the cup to her lips and takes
a sip, then relives the anguished pain
of her tears.

www.angellionel.com

Haunted Dreams

The darkened room can hear him cry
To rhythmic flow of words unshared,
As painful thoughts just beg to die,
Where haunted dreams his loss has bared.

Accusing lies his soul bemoans,
The years of love they shared are dead.
Her words are cast like granite stones,
To shred his soul upon his bed.

His mind then seeks to answer, why?
Her lucid strands of words decry.
And now that his world proved a lie,
He prays for strength to say goodbye.

www.angellionel.com

Mended

With senseless care my heart your love embraced,
When young of mind its trust in you had placed.
You twice the time my sorrow drowned in pain,
When words of love your smile would sadly feign.
False satin sheets of joy you did employ,
Then trapped my heart to play with like a toy.
Too young of heart to see what light displayed,
Revealing faces drunk in horror's shade.
This blinded soul in love was led astray,
Till she arrived to lift the veil away.
In horrid pain your mask to me revealed,
A ghastly sight to eyes that once were sealed.
She held my hand, my heart she gently healed,
Then love for her my soul began to yield.
I thanked the girl whose balm my heart did mend,
And begged her hand the years with me to spend.

www.angellionel.com

Which One Is The Rose

In silence from a distance
My eyes cleave to your face,
Inspiring me to recite poetry
Of love wrapped softly in lace.

I thirst for a closer look;
Her hands caress you lightly.
Your scent she breathes with joy,
I smile as hips sway slightly.

As I approach your color livens,
A crimson painting ablaze,
Becoming vivid in appearance,
While she holds you truly amazed.

But confused I find myself,
Since to your presence I drew,
For now I can’t decide,
If the rose is actually you.

www.angellionel.com

Bound Hearts

The moon is a silent witness
To the love we express this night,
And it beams its smile upon us
As our souls merge in light.

Our lips embrace with fervor,
As songs of love we cry.
They sink into our souls,
Inducing hearts to fly.

So hold my heart in your hands,
And sail with me to heaven,
To pledge a blessed union,
On stars our words engraven.

As the stars all joyfully cry,
We descend to love’s endeavor,
Where earth will kiss our feet,
As two hearts are bound forever.

www.angellionel.com

The Bridge He Crossed

Rain droplets kiss his face as he
walks across the same bridge where
they first met.

It has been many years since he last
saw her; their last day together had
been a painful one; they had parted
ways then, a decision he has since
regretted.

The reason for their breakup has
faded from memory; a lie he has
forced himself to live with.

He stops near the bridge railing,
and closing his eyes he sees her;
the beautiful face that haunts
his dreams each and every night.

A tentative smile visits his lips;
how he achingly misses her!

As he continues to walk, he sighs,
and imagines the raindrops falling
on his face are the tears they both
shed that day.

www.angellionel.com

The Painting

The painting is all I have
To remind me of your grace.
A beauty so rich and deep,
The colors offer but a trace.

Your eyes follow my steps,
My defeated heart on the wall.
When I pause before the frame,
Tears of sorrow yearningly fall.

I caress you with my fingers,
And plead for your return,
But death mocks my tears,
The tears I can't unlearn.

When at night you own my dreams,
In soliloquy my heart despairs,
For your presence on our bed,
The painting cannot share.

www.angellionel.com

Walk With Me

Hold my hand,
Walk with me.
Allow me to show you
The stages of our love,
In this wonderful journey.
Eros, for your body consumes me;
Agape, for it is unconditional;
Storge, for deep is our affection;
Philia, for unbreakable is our friendship.
And so,
As we walk hand in hand,
Enduring arduous times,
Setbacks and obstacles,
Remember,
The stages of our love
Will nourish us,
Strengthen us,
Cement us,
Until we reach our destination,
In eternity's embrace.

www.angellionel.com

For All Time

Meet me where the sun kisses bashful earth,
See her blush when to colors she gives birth.
Its grandeur will hold our awed attention,
And our hearts in song their love will mention.
This lovely painting Aristotle knew,
Yet a grander window grants us our view.
But theirs is not the full beauty this night,
For standing before me you do shine bright.
Your shapely form and lips beckon a taste,
My hands reach out for the grace of your waist.
When trembling our lips cement with a kiss,
Two hearts then are bound in glorious bliss.
We hold our embrace forever it seems,
In intimate glow we merge on the scene.
Aurora smiles and more colors then shine,
Now my heart to you belongs for all time.

www.angellionel.com

Merging Dreams

In the cover of night
She stepped into my dream;
Wondrous were the images
She caught playing in my mind.
Mesmerized by what she saw,
She was compelled to trek further,
Until what she searched for
Was openly naked to her sight.
It was the last of my dreams,
Still encased in a silky cocoon.
She smiled and patiently waited,
For soon the dream would take flight.
Not long thereafter emerged a butterfly,
Brightly colored and eager to rise.
She then spread her own wings
And invited me to follow,
So that we may share a dance,
And kiss at dawn's arrival.

www.angellionel.com

Worth Holding On To

The gentle summer breeze lightly caressed
the man's face as he sat on the meadow;
he loved observing the butterflies dance on air,
myriad of floating kaleidoscopic colors, alighting
here and there.

His heart was filled with joy at the knowledge that
such beauty existed, and it thrilled him to be alive.

As he extended his hand, a particularly striking
butterfly landed on his open palm, with wings
outstretched, as if inviting an embrace.

She did not flee when he sought a closer look, she
did not fly away when he gently touched her wing.

"You are so beautiful," he exhaled.

Suddenly, ominous dark clouds appeared on the horizon,
and every living creature took to shelter. But the
butterfly remained with the man as he staunchly remained
on the meadow.

In an instance, thunder rang mightily as the wind
screamed all around him; the rain pounded his very soul
while he desperately sought to protect the delicate object
held in his protective hands.

But soon, it was over, though it seemed forever, and the
sun smiled upon him once more. Uncupping his hands, his
heart rejoiced, for she was joyously with him, wings
outstretched, colors brilliant as ever.

Just then, a mighty voice rang from above, with an
inquiry to which the answer was already known.

"Tell me, my son, why did you not let her go and seek
shelter when the storm approached?"

Puzzled by the question, the man gazed skyward and
meekly replied,

"Because, she is worth holding on to."

Then, gently smiling as he now gazes at her, he softly
breathes,

"Because she is worth holding on to."

www.angellionel.com

Early Morning Frost

It’s a cold winter morning.
You awaken
As I observe silently;
Early morning frost on your window.
Ah! delightful view that I have!
You approach,
Desiring to view the white snow;
Pure cotton blankets the landscape.
Your sweet breath fogs my eyes
As I bask in delightful bliss.
Your thoughts,
I wish I could read them.
The warmth of your body, so close;
Allow me to hold you but for a moment,
And it will seem an eternity.
Serenity is on your face,
Smiling, as a finger traces your lips.
What are your thoughts?
Is it the one you love?
The wind lashes at the window,
And you notice the morning frost;
Your fingers caress me softly,
Gently wiping me away.
The early morning frost is gone,
And you return to sleep.

www.angellionel.com

Fiery Heart

On a lovely tranquil evening,
When silence ruled the night,
A delightful warmth was felt
By a poet who could not write.

His thoughts had been evasive,
And nary a word would rise,
For dreams his mind was leering,
So he turned to weary eyes.

As he glanced across the room
A luscious view he had,
Of his mate of many years,
Whose beauty kept her clad.

The poesy flowing from her
Intensely streamed as art,
And even her burning aura
Coalesced into a fiery heart.

www.angellionel.com

Beauteous Flowers

Hearken the hearts of men,
Whose eyes in awe delight
On the beauteous flowers
Covering the lush plains
Of the Creator's canvas.
They bring much joy
To the weary souls of men,
Uplifting their spirit,
Their strength,
Their will to live.
For the prospect of holding
One of these lovely flowers,
Their hearts dance with glee!

www.angellionel.com

A Promise Kept

That night they agreed to meet in secret,
Away from judgmental and prying eyes,
And submit their hearts to love unbounded,
Beneath the view of the starry skies.

The stars at nightfall where shining brightly,
While awaiting love to blossom strong;
A couple promised to meet in secret,
And pledge their hearts before this throng.

The stars applauded with brightened glee,
For nearing closer the couple sped;
They guide their steps immersed in darkness,
As stars that night their light all shed.

A delightful view the stars did offer,
As the couple arrived with nervous flush;
The two embraced and sealed their promise
With a kiss that made the stars all blush.

www.angellionel.com

Restless Thoughts

Far away her thoughts restlessly wander,
Immersed in sadness over her lost love.
Loneliness now is her new companion,
And her tears like rain shed from above.

Their hearts once joined in singular songs,
And caresses and smiles were their banquet.
Now forlorn of comfort her heart bemoans,
And daily it wails as she cries on her blanket.

Far away her thoughts restlessly wander,
Searching for answers to life's brutal joke,
While she still holds the last roses he sent her,
As they too die with the heart that he broke.

www.angellionel.com

Lasting Beauty

The early years have departed;
Brief is the course of life.
Yet time’s passing has not
Dimmed the love in my heart.
For though your outer bloom
Has gradually faded,
Your inner beauty remains.
Loving and affectionate,
Such grace ties my
Heart to your own,
And will hold me captive,
Until Death from me demands
My unpaid debt.

www.angellionel.com

A Couple's Game

She knowingly smiles,
Inducing a heart’s dance.
A timid glance;
Swift darting of eyes.
Sensual hips
Waving at me.
Shifting of body;
Glancing again.
Heart-shaped rear;
Temptress that you are!
Ending of day,
Yet tomorrow,
We’ll play again.

www.angellionel.com

Come Play With Me

Each night he looks forward to his sleep,
For it is only then when he can see her,
The graceful young woman who gleefully
Calls out to him, "come play with me."

He does not know her name nor where she
Comes from, only that she is always
There, standing at the edge of the woods
When day bids farewell and welcomes dusk.

Each time he has only admired her from a
Distance, for he has feared losing his way;
But it would be different on this night,
For he was now ready to answer her call.

But as he stands at the edge of the woods,
Eager to run to her at the sound of her voice,
He notices the deafening silence surrounding
Him; he does not see her nor hear her song.

As dusk turns to darkness and dawn is about
To return, a mournful cry escapes his heart;
He has waited too long to answer her call,
And fears that he has lost his lovely sprite.

In distress he cries out to her with all his might,
His voice echoing around him, "come play with me!"
She does not answer, and with light embracing him,
He awakens and whispers, "come play with me."

www.angellionel.com

Treasured Memories

An old photo album caught my eyes
As I searched for papers on which to write.
It had been many years since I had seen
That old treasured book of memories bright.

I sat to peruse the wonders of my past,
And savored the moments each photo conveyed.
Those years had vanished, but here remained,
The stories of my heart on photos arrayed.

One wonderful image my eyes then caught,
A vision of beauty the years did not taint.
She was young and vibrant, the girl I had met;
I avidly sought our hearts to acquaint.

At times she will claim she just fell for my wiles,
But to my effort of heart she succumbed in the end.
Yet in private in whispers to my ears she will sing,
"I did love you first, you did not know it then."

www.angellionel.com

Disquieting Echoes

Last night her dreams invaded my own,
And in soulless silence I heard her moan
The disquieting echoes she had sown.

Words and phrases she had long hidden,
Naked and exposed were now written,
Emptying her vessel of pain unbidden.

The stabs at my soul I could not endure,
Too sharp her words carved at my door,
While sentencing my mind to grief's allure.

Last night her dreams invaded my own,
Tearing the fabric of joy we had sewn,
Emptying a heart of love she had known.

www.angellionel.com

Sending My Heart

Sadness embraced your
Countenance when I left,
And misery tortured my heart
For the lack of your touch.
Hence in absence I send
You a bouquet of flowers,
Scented with jasmine,
Juniper and myrrh.
And so that loneliness a
Prisoner does not make you,
Within the flowers find my heart,
To keep you company,
Till my return.

www.angellionel.com

Sing To Me

Sing to me while I sleep,
Chase my nightmares away.
Caress my face with your lips,
My fears help me allay.

Hold my hand in yours,
Allow your tears to flow.
Whisper that you love me,
And promise you won't go.

Place your hand on my heart,
It beats only for you.
It cries recalling today,
The pain I brought I rue.

Sing to me while I sleep,
Then smile as morning returns.
You've saved me from myself,
My love for you still burns.

www.angellionel.com

Memories

Your eyes are
Windows to your being.
They allow me to
View the splendor
Glowing deep within.
But night advances,
And the windows close,
Now I remain alone,
With just the memories.

www.angellionel.com

Angel L Villanueva

I enjoy writing about relationships, romance, and love. It is a marvelous achievement when couples face all the challenges the world throws at them while continuing strong in their love and commitment for each other.

Though not all my poems are autobiographical, many are derived from personal experience.

I have included images with the poems. Hopefully they will add to your reading enjoyment.

To read a poem, click on its thumbnail image.

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