Angel L Villanueva

Between The Lies

She fears his love is false because of lies,
The lies she hears from lips of doubtful friends.
They falsely comfort offer while in guise,
As stabbing words are shared to selfish ends.

She cries believing he will soon depart,
And leave her heart a shattered pane of glass.
And so she offers love that's merely tart,
Assuaging fears she holds before they pass.

Authentic love he has and shares with her,
But aches on seeing pain she holds within.
Unfazed he shows her warmth emotions stir,
And proves his love is true to their chagrin.

And so if truth be told between the lies,
May eyes be opened days before he dies.

If Only

If only I could dial back the years,
Return to days when we were married young,
I would erase the times I brought you tears,
And move your lips to beam to words unsung.
If only you could hear those words in songs,
Then you would know my heart has ached for you;
Regretful for the hurt and all the wrongs
I caused you on those days that I now rue.
If only you could read my aching heart,
You would then understand the pain I hold.
A pain that lingers still and won't depart,
Until the day my blood is running cold.
But now in silver years all I can do
Is love you even more than when we wed,
And treasure all the moments I'm with you,
As I recite the words my pen has bled.

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 will declare.

Should darkness veil my aging eyes,
And keep your lovely face from me,
I will replay 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.

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,
When 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.

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.

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.

The River Bend

I walked a winding trail one summer eve,
In steps delayed to set my mind at ease.
But then your face encroached as careless tease,
Reviving thoughts of you that I may grieve.
The trail then ended at the river bend,
And I with glee enjoyed the water's flow.
It cleared debris to send it far below,
Reminding me that time all pain can end.

In silence I took pause to watch and learn,
As fragments washed away in muted calm,
And then began to see what hearts do yearn,
The soothing touch of new love's calming balm.
A smile adorned my saddened face in turn,
And I then softly sung to you a psalm.

Endless Dream

I walk the trail, in hopes of reaching you,
As winter sheds her tears of crystal ice.
I rise above snow drifts, the trail to view,
But find my steps alone do not suffice.

On knees I crawl across the banks of snow,
As yearnings for your touch keep urging on;
For life you grant to me, when I am low,
When many times near death my breath has drawn.

Then I awaken, as all other nights,
An empty shell, for love has been denied.
Now dawn arrives anew in searing lights,
While frozen tears the trail proceeds to hide.

My endless dream denies a final climb,
But patiently I wait for love sublime.

Fleeting Love

When night a blanket places on the sun,
And gently wakens stars and moon to shine,
She taps my mind to urge my heart to run,
With crimson lips she drenched in reddish wine.

But nightmares surge in frightful reveries;
They line my anxious soul with hurtful sights.
Those long ago I blocked from memories,
To end the painful thoughts of sleepless nights.

Sweet dreams of gentle care then surge from her,
To lead my wary steps through these dark halls.
She begs I see the need my heart to stir,
And find my way back home until she calls.

I walk the halls of dreams each night I die,
In search of fleeting love to ask her, why?

Paths

We were too young when hearts we tried to blend,
When grief in bloom of youth was sadly felt.
Your eyes in tears to him began to tend,
Obliging one who pain to you once dealt.

Your fawning eyes to one you saw divine,
Drew anguished cries from my defeated heart.
What chance had I with tears of salty brine,
When words of love he wrote in flowing art.

My broken heart in pain had to depart
From caustic words you hurled upon my soul.
In time a quest for love I did restart,
And found the warmth of one who made me whole.

You sought a love your own would desolate,
And I the path of one who chose to wait.

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.

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.

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.

One Last Candle

The angry storm approaches in the night,
Its curdling howl is heard for miles around.
The trees all flinch in fear of nature's smite,
Then cast their sobbing leaves upon the ground.

No soul dare venture out to face the storm,
For nature's wrath is not so lightly scorned.
The lights go out as winds in anger swarm;
The frightened city now lies unadorned.

Yet here I lie in rest with you, my love,
As candles lift the veil that darkness brings.
Securely sleeping like a peaceful dove,
Your arms around me are your regal wings.

I gaze at you when calm outside returns,
And kiss your face as one last candle burns.

Endless Bloom

She worries that her softest bloom is gone,
The beauty that was hers in younger years.
She reminisces days of early dawn,
When flawless skin awoke to gleeful cheers.

She frets her steps have lost their sultry dance,
Her slender figure time has cast away.
She dreads her crown to white will soon advance,
So feels it is in vain to hide her gray.

But I do not see what her mirror shows,
For ever since we met her beauty glows.
Her smile, her lively eyes and button nose,
Still weaken my strong knees down to my toes.

No matter what the mirror says to her,
Her beauty moves my heart with love to stir.

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.

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."

Blue Flame

My love for you is like a flame
Atop a candle's gentle frame.
Its varied colors hot and bright
Emit their warmth not quite the same.

Like heat of red, sweet passion reigns,
And orange glows through many pains.
Then yellow shines like happy days,
When nothing breaks our bonded chains.

But yet the core of searing blue
Is hotter still than three you view.
This blue the center dominates,
Like blazing love I have for you.

Red = Passion
Orange = Optimism
Yellow = Happiness
Blue = Loyalty And Trust

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.

And now at 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.

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.

My Sunshine

The morning sun returns in heightened glee,
It spills its rays of light in soft embrace.
The birds outside all sing a joyous plea,
"Awaken, please, enjoy the day's full grace!"

Yet pools of empty warmth the bed belies,
Though rays of sun my face caress and kiss.
Perplexed my mind a quest for answers cries;
The sunshine heat my soul does surely miss.

But then with joy my heart was soon apprised,
Of warmth that rose in steamy prancing streams.
Your scent had called at me with love supplied,
And shared your warming touch as if in dreams.

Its morning heat the sun could not imbue,
Adoring warmth was flowing then from you.

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 beauty 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.

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.

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 declare my love anew,
And never will it start to wane.
Our bodies seek to meld as one,
Entwined in trust, for love has won.

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!

Bound Hearts

The moon is a silent witness
To the love we express this night,
And it beams its smile upon us,
While bathing us 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 toward the sky,
To pledge our blissful union,
On stars our words to tie.

When smiling dawn arrives,
We descend to love’s endeavor,
Where earth will kiss our feet,
As two hearts are bound forever.

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.

Tears For Yesterday

For yesterday she cries in pain;
Her endless tears, torrential 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.

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.

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.

Haunted Dreams

The darkened room can hear him cry
To rhythmic flow of words unshared;
His 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,
And 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

To Mend A Heart

They cry from grief imbued in broken hearts,
Despising angry tears that flow at night.
Dark scenes in plays of lovers torn apart,
Recalling times of bounded hearts in flight.

Their souls once merged like heaven hugs the earth,
With lips that met to share a tender kiss.
Affection drove their love so filled with mirth,
It seemed eternal was their life of bliss.

They now in earnest seek to end their pain,
And beg for hope to grant their woe to die.
For then reborn their hearts will truly gain
The branch of love where tears can gently dry.

To mend a heart depart from thoughts of grief,
Replace despair to find true love's relief.

Scars

How often we cry
When gazing at our scars;
An old photo on the bureau
Of happier times when two
Hearts had merged as one.
A nuanced fragrance whispering
At our senses while walking
Alone in a crowded park.
A glance from a stranger whose
Likeness triggers images
Of a treasured past.
Do not despair, for painful
As those scars may be,
They remind you
That you are alive,
And can love again.

The Heart's Armor

Like raging waters crashing on a dam,
The urges of the flesh are at his door.
Behind then follows lustful thoughts that slam
The gates that guard the door down to its core.

The arms of lust deceive with dreams of joy;
Like moths to flames they dance around the heart.
A weakened wall can crack under this ploy,
And cause the gates to open wide apart.

The gates most surely strong will still remain,
If true love holds its guard and firmly stands.
It is the armor shielding hearts from pain,
When wanton cravings seek to weaken hands.

Employ the shield of love to guard the heart,
The gates will hold for strength it will impart.

Anguished Tears

A cup of hot tea keeps her company
while she peers through the window;
happy images replay in her mind
as a 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 adored 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 caress her saddened face,
and droplets sink into her cooling tea.

Bringing the cup to her lips, she takes
a sip, then relives the anguished pain
of her tears.

Worth Holding On To

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

His heart is filled with joy at the knowledge that
such beauty exists, and it thrills him to be alive!

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

She does not flee when he seeks a closer look, she
does not fly away when he gently touches her wing.

"You are so beautiful," he exhales.

Suddenly, ominous dark clouds appear on the horizon,
and every living creature takes to shelter; but the
butterfly remains with the man as he staunchly stays
on the meadow.

In an instance, thunder rings mightily as the wind
screams all around him; the rain pounds his very soul
while he desperately seeks to protect the delicate object
held in his protective hands.

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

Just then, a mighty voice pierces the sky with an
inquiry to which the answer is 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 gazes skyward and
meekly replies,

"Because, she is worth holding on to."

Then, gently smiling as he gazes at her, he whispers,

"Because she is worth holding on to."

Angel L Villanueva

It is a marvelous achievement when married couples face all the challenges the world throws at them while continuing strong in their love and commitment for each other.

But there can also be pain and heartache, as when a loved one dies or a relationship fails. I attempt to capture those feelings with several of the poems found on this page.

Though some of my poems are derived from personal experience, not all are autobiographical. Several are based on dreams or from what I have observed in other relationships.

To read a poem, click on its thumbnail image.

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A collection of my poetry is available at Amazon in paperback and Kindle format. Thank you for your support!