I Must Be Strong, Mio Amore Poem by John McAndrew

I think my soul is dark, mio amore,
And it will seek to destroy us,
To imprison your canary heart
In a cage,
Where it may watch,
Darkly, blackly, brooding,
With evil intent,
Until you care to sing no more.

I must be strong, mio amore,
Strong enough to see the illusion,
And to let in the light of day,
Which with its glow,
Of warmth, of life, of birth,
Of love,
Will fill the darkness,
'Till my mind's apprehensions becomes,
A faint, unreal, remembrance
Of a shadow,
Cast upon the ground.