Old Love Poem by Lora Colon

Pondering the gnarled vineyards of twilight,
It is for these grapes that I hunger,
For they have survived the drought and the blight,
Bearing scars of days when they were younger

The fruits of old love are tender and sweet,
For they've learned to endure sun and shade;
Keeping strong through gale force winds, snow and sleet,
Their true value has been measured and weighed

Old love seeks beauty deep within the heart,
The wrinkled face and the graying hair
Matter not, yet what a sting they impart
To the lonely tangled in Time's cruel snare

Observe the pearl fishers - they're not concerned
With the oyster's shell, but with the prize
That's dwelling deep inside, for they have learned
They might find a gem in cunning disguise

Satisfying are the fruits of old love,
So patiently they wait to be claimed
By soft, wizened hands, gentle as a dove,
Yet displaying passion's touch, unashamed

Love that has withstood the test of the years
Is a love that's worth its weight in gold;
In spite of all the sorrows and the tears,
Old love can still bear fruit a hundredfold

How blessed are we who can see love's sweet truth
Unfolding before our very eyes;
We don't need the exuberance of youth
To yield to love's call under star-filled skies!

Old love has had its feet held to the fire,
And it emerged, still able to stand;
It survived the bogs of life's muck and mire,
What more can be said..... for sure, old love's grand!