If a Lady Asked

If a lady asked
About my past
I would say I loved
And I kissed the dust
For luck seldom was
Smiling on my side
So I hid the grief
And swallowed the pride
I would say I longed
For unyielding arms
I would say I yearned
For forbidden rights
I would say I craved
For denied delights
If a lady asked
About my heart
I would say I’d like
Just from time to time
To whisper your name
Slowly in the dark
Pretending you hear
Questions I can’t ask
I would say I pined
For summers we lost
I would say I languished
For there was no cost
I wouldn’t have paid
To stay in your heart
This is what I’d say
But no lady asked