Papaya

1997 COPYRIGHT
BY PETER CHRISTOPHER RAYMOND
(FOR J.L.)

OUR FRIENDSHIP NEVER REALLY DID BLOSSOM
WAITING IN VAIN FOR THAT CLOSENESS TO COME
WHEN I COULD KNOW THE CONTENTS OF YOUR HEART
BY THE SPEED BY WHICH YOUR EYES WOULD DART
THE DEPTH OF YOUR LOVE BY THE WIDTH OF YOUR SMILE
WHEN WE COULD SIT TOGETHER AND DREAM A WHILE
YOU COULD SHARE WITH ME YOUR CHERISHED WISH
SO VIVIDLY THAT THE CHARM WOULD NOT DIMINISH
BUT NO MATTER HOW MUCH MUTUAL RESPECT WE'D WIN
YOU WOULD NEVER BE MY BEST FRIEND AND COMPANION
AS WARM AND INVITING AS YOUR SWEET EYES SEEMED
MY CLOSENESS TO YOU WAS ONLY A DREAM

SOME PART OF ME KNEW IT WAS FOOLISH TO WEEN
THE YEAR I WAS BORN WAS YOUR SWEET SIXTEEN
DWARFED AND SHADOWED BY ALL YOUR MATURITY
THE REALITY OF MY FANTASY WAS WELL BEYOND ME
SAD YET ALWAYS ENAMORED BY YOUR RADIANT BEAM
TOWARD THAT LOVELY GLOW SO MANY WOULD STREAM
MAYBE IT WAS NATURAL THAT I WAS DRAWN NEAR
YET IT WASN'T A FEELING THAT WE WOULD SHARE
I HELD OUT MY HEART TO CATCH AN UNLIKELY PRIZE
THOUGH I KNEW IN MY HEAD THE PURSUIT WAS UNWISE
I GUESS I STILL ENJOYED THAT TIME OF BLISS
THAT MIGHT'VE GONE SOUR HAD I LET IT PERSIST

WHY ARE OUR HEARTS SO FRAGILE AND FRAIL
I'VE SEEN YOU SOMETIMES AND TURNED TAIL
HOW PAINFUL IT WAS TO DESIRE BUT FAIL
AND LIVE WITH THAT MEMORY IN VIVID DETAIL
NOW YOU'VE GONE TO LIVE IN THE EASTERN HEMISPHERE
YET I BELIEVE ONE DAY THAT YOU'RE GOING TO REAPPEAR
THESE FEELINGS OF MINE WILL SOMEDAY BE RESOLVED
IF ONLY AFTER OUR TINY BODIES HAVE DISSOLVED
WE'LL BE FREE TO ENJOY EACHOTHER'S COMPANY
IN A PEACEFUL REALM TO WHICH WE WILL FLEE
FEAR WILL BE IRRELEVANT TO ALL THAT IS TRUE
LIKE THE SWEETNESS OF A FRIENDSHIP WITH YOU