My Heart

I miss my wife.
We were a couple
For 52 years,
Friends but
Much more.
We were seamless,
Allies against all comers,
Soul mates one might say.
And now what? I wanted
My friend Pandora to be
A replacement when
She knew it could not be.
I realize now there is no
Replacement, ever.
At best I may hope
To meet someone with
Whom I can love in a new
Way, it will not be Pandora.
Someone who was not
Betrayed and abandoned.
Someone who can
Still love. I do not
Want to live alone. Living
With someone who can share
A gentler, caring love is
My goal. Once I give
My heart, it is final
To the finish of life,
Not friends with
Privileges.
I am hunting
In the deep woods
Of the heart for more
Than a good friend.