Prologue

And always has it been

From dawning of first time

When boy meets wondrous girl

That true love light will shine

Forelsket

It starts with lifting joy

A sweet mind-numbing bliss

All stemming from the first

And gentle tender kiss

Soft butterflies inside

A sweet euphoria

The Danes gifted the world

They name it Forelsket

Filipendulous

I look into her eyes

My heart and soul do soar

She gives me all of her

And yet I still want more

She is my only care

My life now upended

Upon the thread of her

I become suspended

Abulia

Now I am no longer

The master of my soul

She is my destiny

My one and only goal

To her I will bequeath

Mastery of my will

There is no sense of me

Just her forever, still

Nepenthe

All too soon she is gone

Too soon our love does end

And in my broken heart

A crippling pain descends

I must forget my love

And quell this hurt in me

I turn to Ancient Greece

A drug called Nepenthe

Epilogue

And always shall it be

Till the end of all days

That ev’ry love will grow

In mysterious ways

He was in the business of nepenthe. The Greeks wrote of a mythical elixir to make you forget all your sorrows, and people's desire for such a thing was no different today than it was all those centuries ago. Perhaps if anything people wanted it more; these modern times were tough on everyone, from the lowliest workhouse pauper to the Dukes and Lords of London. And they paid handsomely for anything that could help them forget, even if it was only temporary. His establishment had an excellent reputation; he took care of his customers, providing the most comfortable beds and the finest opium direct from the orient. He had handpicked his ladies himself, and they never picked pockets or gossiped about the gentlemen who sought their comfort. His customers were in safe hands in his parlour, and oh how they flocked to him, practically showering him in coins as they ran to the pipe. They craved forgetting, and he was only too glad to provide it.

While lying in a garden, a filipendulous shaped plant had produced a fruit which I ate.

Before my eyes appeared a maiden, beautifully transformed.

My eyes transfix on the maiden which peaked my since to Forelsket amazement.

The euphoria in my soul was filling the air which banishing all troubles I once had.

As my gaze could not be detour at the presence of this maid, I got up to embrace her.

She led me on a blind chase, and then she stopped.

Now to embrace the maiden, she fell through my arms.

Fell head long into a pit. All went dark; I awoke in the physician's care.

He turned to others in the room he said, yes it is Abulia injury.

How do you know said the others, it is plain and simple.

This person has lost his ability to function properly.

He says to me raise your hand.

Only able to move my mouth, words silently mouthed where is my Love?

Standing beside the physician now appears the maiden, but she laughs at me.

Do you still not understand who I really am?

The maiden of foolishness left me in the dark.

It was the work of the drug which the old world plants of the garden produced.