Animal Rights and Other Poetry By Shenita Etwaroo From All-Creatures.org

Promises have been whispered before,
from my lips,
from the lips of friends and more,
but none quite like this.
Each word I speak,
is one I intend to keep,
my promise will never be weak,
made by a heart no longer asleep.
Each breath I take,
is sacred to me,
because it is drawn for your sake,
for you, I will always be good.
What makes me alive
is the joy in your eyes,
what inspires me to survive
is the love that came as a surprise.
It has been a long journey so far,
brutal and unkind,
but I still sought magic in the stars,
and hoped I might yet still find
a warmth like your embrace,
a beautiful soul like you,
an angel with a familiar face,
a dream that actually came true.
I whispered my prayers each night,
I sought the promise of tomorrow,
I dreamed and lost myself in the delight
of a fantasy that whisked away all of my sorrow.
I knew you long before
we ever had the opportunity to meet,
you were the reason I was sure,
that tragedy could not deal love a defeat.
Just when I might have given in,
when I might have surrendered to solitude,
my heart you did win,
and I can’t ever fully express my gratitude.
My life is now in full bloom,
my love is bursting from deep within me,
like a fountain washing away the gloom,
and finally, truly, setting me free.
That is why I whisper this promise to you,
words sacred between you and I,
that my love will always be true,
that it will belong to you until the day I die.
Perhaps beyond, with angels wings,
our love will still grow,
and my heart will continue to sing,
for the joy I finally know.

© Shenita Etwaroo