Three Rings Poem by Wakefield Mahon

I
I write you now to tell you this
A friend like you is one I would miss
As my life is like the tempest sea
Forgive my ill-wrought poetry
For six long months, you've asked me why
So may this please you, my reply
In my heart and in my mind
Lay only two of womankind
Now, let me start my poetry
With that which everyone can see
You, my sweet, with hair of gold
And other maidens young and old
Although they've eyes of green or blue
Your eyes of truth are fairer hue
Your hair is like the sun's golden rays
Or goldenrod on summer days
Your eyes, they glisten like morning dew
The eyes of sweetness and chocolate hue
Your lips of rose so light and sweet
And ears so precious like infant's feet
Your neck so smooth, pale ivory and soft
Hands and fingers to play Rachmaninoff
Then, there are things that they don't see
Little secrets, known only by we
I know your heart and feel your pain
The times you have shone then cursed the rain
In those angelic eyes lies honesty
And in your heart lies love
That's why the children love you so
And the beasts and the birds above
All are attracted to you inner glow
Like the light of God's love which we bring
Your talent is that of a masterful child
As you play and dance and sing
These are reasons, only a few
Of many I have why I love you
II
In my dreams, I've seen you
You dance across the sky like a little ballerina
Your eyes shining brightly like diamonds
I would lie alone in a cold lonely place
Where the icy winds would blow
And you'd come to me
Riding on a warm breeze
Speaking in a soft melodic tone you'd say
'Patience, my love, the time draws near.'
The hope of, someday, finding you kept me fighting
I prayed every night that someone
Would come and make me whole,
That I would find you.
Then, that moment came
Our eyes locked together
I saw the familiar radiance
Yet I was afraid to speak
What would I do if you turned me away?
Could my heart be anything but shattered?
To find you, and then lose you would be to die
Therefore, I tried, subtly,
As I had learned with many girls before.
I tried to draw you into my life
I thought maybe - maybe...
If you were the one, then you would know
Your actions would be perfect
And I... I would allow myself to fall in love
To plunge deep into a foreign sea which rages high
To give myself as I had never been willing before
III
Now, we are here, though it is sad to say
It is nearly time to go away
Fear not, my precious little one
Our time together has just begun
I do not intend to lose you now
I will come and find you, it matters not how
This brings me to a few more things
A matter of three precious rings
The first of these, a simple band
A token reminder on your hand
That when the sun once again grows near
And you've celebrated your eighteenth year
I'll bring to you the second ring
And in your ears, these words will sing
'Will you marry me, my dear? '
For I will have waited nearly a year
By then you'll have the time to find
The answer to the question of mine
Should you decide this ring to accept
Granted all promises are kept
Then on a date in years, five or four
You'll hold the third ring forevermore
And with this ring, I will thee wed
And stray not once, those words being said
So, in a short while, I'll have a ring
Yours, if you say yes to one thing:
As I promise to return in less than a year
Will you promise to wait for me here
In your heart and not to stray?
And I will promise that you will stay
The only one in my heart or my arms
And I will return to take you from harm.