He never knew her face
but her words he knew well
as he studied each letter of hers
with great affection.
Since he thought he was dying himself
he allowed himself to fall in love
with a dying girl.
A mistake he will never forgive.
And so when word came that she had died,
drowning in her own blood while sleeping,
he tore up the news and shrieked.
From morning until night he shrieked.
And then he burned each letter he had received from her.
Ridding himself of all reminders of her
before he came to his senses and became too weak to do it.
And although he burned those lovely letters,
he was still haunted by her love for many years.