My Wife and My Mistress

Marriages are made in heaven,
And so, they truly say,
For I was married in heaven,
Then on earth, I made my way,

One night, I was born on earth,
I am told I wept a lot,
I missed her presence on earth,
And she knew she would be sought.

She had come with me truly,
For she dwelt in my heart,
I felt her presence freely,
For she could not stay apart.

My wife she dearly loves me,
My life she lets me live,
I knew she lives in me,
By the ache, to my heart, that she gives.

She gave me my first child,
A boy she called Tears,
He drove many crazy and wild,
And his presence was feared.

He was born in my eyes,
Grew and played on my cheeks,
Soon he was out of my sight,
His memories, dry salt on my cheeks.

My wife gave me a second one,
A boy she named Pain,
Born in my mind, he grew in my heart,
He made me wince, and tore me apart.

My Pain was small and raw,
But that was when he was born;
He grew tougher than rocks,
Froze all he saw; growing stronger by hours.


Very soon i learnt this world,
And i met another one,
She ruled my mind and turned my world,
And Smile, our child, our first one.

She was my mistress, never loyal,
I hated her, for often, she left me forlorn,
Yet, i could never do without her,
And so, laughter, she named my second born.

My mistress named Happiness, never lived with me,
Our children, Smile and Laughter, also left me,
Like mist she came, like mist she left,
And never did they return to see me.

All along, my wife was true to me,
My children, their presence, I always felt,
Always with me, they never left me,
In their memories, my heart did melt.

My wife taught me, about the world around,
About who was true, and who was false,
My Tears and my Pain were always around,
For my wife had bonded my world very strong.

I went my way about the world,
With my wife so close to me,
Her loved ached my heart, and grieved my mind,
My Tears and my Pain now lived with me.

Soon my friend came to see me,
And told I had to leave,
My time was up, my Friend told me,
You have no choice but leave in peace.

I heard nothing of my Mistress called Happiness,
Or my children, Smile and Laughter,
I left, bidding adieu to the world in fullness,
Never to return thereafter.

I call my wife, my Sorrow,
My children, Tears and Pain,
These were my wealth, with which I left,
Oh yes! And also with my dear Friend –
Whom I called Death.