"Plagued by Love and Hope" Inspired by The Phantom of the Opera:

Plagued by Love and Hope

She fills my mind,

despite my promise to forget her.

I go to her,

despite her plea for me not to.

At a distance,

I listen to her voice and cry

because she won’t let me closer.

My love for her won’t fade.

My lips can’t help but call out to her,

even as she is taken from me.

I am plagued with questions –

whether she is leaving me willingly,

whether she tells me the truth,

whether she is safe,

whether she will come back to me.

I am plagued by love,

by love’s blindness,

by love’s hope,

by love’s forgiveness,

for I know I’ll continue to chase her

and beg for her

because of the hope

still alive within me.