In The Madness

The façade holds 

though teetering slightly 

Normalcy still clings 

to its fragile perch 

Excepting very late at night 

delving deeply into thought 

the mind finds a path 

past the clutter of the day's repast 

The cares and needs of those around 

have quieted a bit in my head 

leaving room to hear the heart 

Or perhaps 

the sound of the madness 

finally heard above the haste 

For what is love 

but madness 

What is passion 

but a fever  

To love passionately 

is to burn fervently 

with madness 

Not to burn only 

but to revel in the flame 

To feel the ardent heat 

To smell the fiery stench 

To hear the crackling 

As it burns … 

burns … 

burns …

And yet to embrace 

to draw it closer 

to pull it inside 

to welcome that sweet death 

that we call love 

For true love means: 

To give to have 

To throw out to hold 

To die to live 

To wait 

in the heat 

for that love to return 

To want 

and want nothing else 

To yearn 

for that smoky embrace 

To wait 

in the madness 

 

© Ron Simpson Jr.