The Breaking of a Heart

To find a loving partner, you must open your heart to pain,
to rejection, and to sorrow.  You must be real.  You must
be true to yourself and hopefully the other person will bring
their true self to the table. 

I guarantee it is always best to cry now then later.
Later is after marriage, after a baby, or after sharing
years together.

If you break up during the courtship more than likely
there is something intrinsically wrong with the relationship.
Do not, under any circumstances, fight the red flags.
Lick your wounds, heal and start over. 

Be selective but don't close yourself  off to a jewel
that doesn't come in Tiffany packaging. 
Select first a kind human being.

If you have experienced a broken heart, the denial of a dream
or the acceptance of acts beyond
comprehension you will understand.
I have carried this poem in my heart for over 30 years.

A Deep Sworn Vow 

by William Butler Yeats 

Others because you did not keep
That deep-sworn vow have been friends of mine;
Yet always when I look death in the face,
When I clamber to the heights of sleep,
Or when I grow excited with wine,
Suddenly I meet your face.