A Rocky Shore

Let me be clear. You never did before,
So I was never clear, much less alone,
Myself, or anything good. I was prone,
Abasing my poor body at your door,
Pretending that I liked this so much more
Than independence. I turned into stone,
Which wasn't really your fault, but I've grown
And outgrown you now. You're a rocky shore,

But I have loved you — unenduringly,
It turns out — but it seems love can endure
Even this ending. There might be no cure,
No ending, even now: I say I'm free,
But your benign touch is all over me,
My dreams of you are wonderful and pure.