Love Promises Pain (ghazal)

Never did you promise love to guaranty tomorrow.
Shameful guilt burns my face for idiocy tomorrow.

Blissful hours yearning for your sweet voice in melody
ears turn to your bower for the sound of glee tomorrow.

Wandering through back alley ways suffering felony
from rogues that do your bidding to pummel me tomorrow.

Don't cast me away for sake of that ancient Sade marquis
hands of ice and tongue shall cut you ill foresee tomorrow.

Here one craven mortal weeps, such an anguished devotee,
bounty of your bosom unveil every tomorrow.

Curses on your cruel denial of my soul entreaty -
forgive the oath that I'll make in agony tomorrow.

Please beguile the world anew, stroll in your garden nightly
and this unwise man shall slink in your alley tomorrow. (Larry Chamberlin)

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Thanks to Maple Tree for introducing me to this form. The ghazal is an ancient arabic form with strict requirements. See the following website for details: [http://www.urdupoetry.com/poetryforms.html]
A ghazal is formed of couplets or "shers," each of which embodies a single thought, complete in itself, but which together form a conceptual statement. The structure follows the rules of "matla," "maqta," "bahar," "qaafiyaa" and "radeef." Each line in each sher must have the same meter (bahar); each sher must end in exactly the same word (radeef) and must have a specific rhyme scheme (called "qaafiyaa") where the last word in the first line of the shere rhymes with the last word before the radeef in the sercond line. The opening sher, called the "matla" is comprised of two lines with the same radeef and qaafiyaa. The last sher is followed by the author's pen name, which is not a part of the bahar - this device is the "maqta."

The ghazal is strictly about unrequited, illicit or impossible love, often as a spiritual metaphor. It is grounded in Sufi metaphysics, often contains violent images, and always expresses both anger at the unattainable lover and eternal commitment. For exploring this form try the works and compilations of Agha Shahid Ali.