New Year (Three versions)
by cricketjeff on May 2, 2010. © Jeff Green, All rights reserved
The World was dark, it seemed more night than day,
And every night was longer than the last.
His loneliness let living slip away;
Tomorrow just an echo of his past.
Without a hope his life was not a tale
That any man would ever want to tell,
And every day he hoped the spark would fail,
A purgatory would beat this living hell.
But every year will come at last to Yule,
One morning she was there and life began.
Inside her eyes he saw he’d been a fool
And in her arms he soon became a man.
Now every night is brighter than the day,
He fell in love and found a better way.
OR
My world was dark, it seemed more night than day
And ever night was longer than the last.
Through loneliness the present slipped away
Tomorrow just an echo of my past.
Devoid of hope my love was not a tale
That any man could ever want to own.
Each day I hoped the vital spark would fail
And I could leave this purgatory alone.
But every year must come at last to Yule,
One morning you were here and life began.
Inside your eyes I saw I’d been a fool
And in your arms I first became a man.
And now each night is brighter than the day
I fell in love and found a better way.
OR
The World was dark, it seemed more night than day,
And every night was longer than the last.
His loneliness let living slip away;
Tomorrow just an echo of his past.
Without a hope his life was not a tale
That any man would ever want to tell,
And every day he hoped the spark would fail,
A purgatory would beat this living hell.
But every year must come at last to Yule,
One morning you were here and life began.
Inside your eyes I saw I’d been a fool
And in your arms I first became a man.
And now each night is brighter than the day
I fell in love and found a better way.
Author notes
I wrote the first of these versions in http://allpoetry.com/item/show/6402591,
Mairi_bheag in commenting suggested it may work better in the first person, so
I wrote the second version, in the third version I have left the first two
stanzas in the thrird person to emphasise the difference between the sad fool
at the start and the complete man at the end. Any thoughts anyone?
English