The Sweet Blow of Pain

Right at the center of my chest,
what strange ache made itself known.
At first it stirred a sweet tremor—
as if pain were the sweetest gift of deepest truth.
In my mind, that beloved face coming and going...
This unbearable bliss!
What fierce companionship of feeling and ache!

As if suddenly it turned betrayer—
that cool heartbeat caged in my chest.
In that night of profound silence...
the sluggish pulse began to race recklessly,
growing sharper and sharper—
the assault of unbearable pain.

As the breathless passage stretched longer,
the entrance to this garden of pain closed.
Standing in line for the long journey—
a dying traveler's gaze
pursued me at a frantic pace;
seeing me, it seemed—
he smiled faintly and turned away.