Be careful, they said:
Don’t give so much of your heart;
What you give of it, they said,
Is never returned. 

They said, I should be aware:
There are takers present 
Who won’t acknowledge 
Your gift in the light of day;
They will wait,
Until even the moon covers her body
To take you. 

Be careful, they said,
The ocean takes from land 
And seems to love her;
But all he does 
Is cover what she has
And longs to cover the rest. 

Be wise, they said,
All who profess love
Do not mean what they say,
Or do not understand what they mean. 
Do not trust much, if at all,
Even love comes with a price. 

Be ready, they said,
You will need your tears and pain
As collateral for the kisses
You received and the joy you used. 

Be careful, they said.

But I forgot. 

And, when I stood alone 
In my foolishness, 
Stripped clean of pride,
And left with small change, 
At the edge of the ocean,
Under a barren moon,
I remembered all they said.