Tropic of Cancer

coda to “Northern Lights” (2014 Archive)

Her need, her dream, my southern love’s,
to walk once more the crystal sand,
and lead the sun toward winter’s end

Returning east, she sings my blood,
leaves Riojan wine on my tongue,
her breath of spring and tangerines

Bright northern star did fail its quest,
to hold her fast in autumn’s mist,
so now she runs, runs to me in ev’ning

Westerly, her eyes turn sunset gold,
and so my heart stands where it never left,
in summer’s azure glow, and new beginnings

~A.J. Mayfield

Loveworks

One day, my love
for you is going to break my heart
Not in the ordinary way,
when people grow tired of love,
or bored, or are taken away by someone
or something new
Because it goes like this…

I’ll be walking along, thinking thoughts,
and suddenly it will come to me that
I don’t remember, exactly, the last time
I thought of you, and in that moment,
that moment I never want to arrive,
I’ll be truly sad,
Sadder even than the day I looked at you,
and saw that you no longer look at me
as if you are the luckiest girl in the world
Because I know how love works….

~A.J. Mayfield