Lost in Love

By James Ray

A short collection of poetry, both old an new. For as long as I can remember I ‘ve always had a fascination with words, word play and the multiple meanings a word or a phrase can elicit. Take the title of this present work, Lost in Love. That can convey a sense of loss or perhaps, that of being deeply engrossed. Some of the selections in this collection of verse pertain to loss and some to rapture (if I may be so bold). That’s the beauty of poetry.

• Language: English
• Publisher: James Ray
• Release date: Apr 4, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370962693

James Ray

Born in Detroit, Michigan, we moved down south to the mountains of northwest North Carolina where I attended eighth grade and high school. After a shortened semester and a half expirament at Arizona State University, I joined the US Marine Corps where I spent the next nearly five years with an abbreviated tour in Viet Nam. A lifelong tinkerer of poetry I finally published a collected volume of verse, Cosmos Clouds. I now spend time amusing myself writing poetry and short stories including a collection of case studies in the Annals of Sir Arthur, My Brother Who Would Be Sherlock. Married now for over 30 years, we split our time between the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and Western Nebraska.

Book preview

Lost in Love

Selected Verse

Old and New

James Ray

All rights reserved

Copyright 2016 by James Ray

Smashwords Edition

Characters, names and incidents used in this book are products of the imagination of the author and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental or used fictitiously.

By James Ray

Cosmos Clouds

Rustle of Leaves

Sir Arthur Annals –Book I

Uncle Oren and Other Yarns

Grandma Tell Me Your Memories*

Sir Arthur Annals –Book II

101 IQ –Haiku

*With Gloria Ray

unpublished e-Books:

Winning 8-Ball Secrets

An Afternoon At the Snakehole Golf

and Country Club

Quest for the Barmen

PREFACE

For as long as I can remember I ‘ve always had a fascination with words, word play and the multiple meanings a word or a phrase can elicit. Take the title of this present work, Lost in Love. That can convey a sense of loss or perhaps, that of being deeply engrossed. Some of the selections in this collection of verse pertain to loss and some to rapture (if I may be so bold). That’s the beauty of poetry.

Within poetry I found a vehicle where the challenge is to express a moment of emotion or feeling in a structure that relies on an economy of words. I prefer a structured form of verse, though I have written stream of conscientiousness on occasion in the past.

Summer Fare and the sonnet, Refuge of the Innocent were written some 40 years ago.

I included the Ballad of Wedding Belle (with apologies to Oscar Wilde) that was written twenty-five years ago which has always amused me and was featured in Cosmos Clouds.

I want to thank Gwynita for her encouragement and Tami for putting up with me for all these 30 years, and all the inspiration in between from Cindy and Betsy to Sheila and Amanda and others who inspired the inventive use of my imagination.

"Tis better to have loved and lost

Than never to have loved at all."

Lord Alfred Tennyson

REFUGE OF THE INNOCENT

Dieu et mon Droit

Refuse us not thy gift of Life, you who are

So full of love; did we decide this time

And place to start our journey—so far?

Our very existence? Or is your lust our crime?

Release us from this barbarous decree of yours,

It’s life we seek, just a chance, come what may;

In that moment of passion-fury you sought for

I heard, I cried, "Let me into your world today,

Tomorrow—let it be now!" Would you deny so bold

What you have come to know; or could you fear

This vile air transformed by my breath?

Alas! The infinite reward is mine of old,

And new, dare you fail my cry to hear:

For I the life to come: and you the Death.

MY LADY

I love you! Oh so, My Lady!

—My Venus Caelestis:

Guide me through your heavenly sphere

O’er this terrestrial abyss.

Your gala of Veneralia

Transformed my heart of stone

—Led me from my Inner darkness

Where once I stood alone.

SUMMER FARE

Beyond, ere spring begins to wan,

As vision of summer’s song

Shrouds her former dread.

Denying so long her precious gift:

What was once wicked

Now sacred.

Autumn’s splendor!

Nature in full array.

A time for reflection, a season for wonder,

And yet so melancholy?

The joy of summer unknown

Metamorphosis with this band of gold—Unborn.

The cold shadow of death on winter’s path

Extinguishes light of summer past.

Love not lived

Could never be:

Lost in the twilight

Of emerging eternity.

SILENT, SECRET KISS

The silent secret kiss I stole from her

Sparked the fire that seared my soul—Soul Errant

She could not know the passions it would stir

The silent secret kiss I stole from her

But in truth she never did once concur

Though discreetly her thoughts of me enchant

The silent secret kiss I stole from her

That sparked the