My Lovely Lady of the Lake

My lovely lady of the lake,
Her photograph I used to take
To freeze forever in a frame
The goddess with the human name

I had no photo when apart;
Just echo in my broken heart.
Those empty years gave me one grace:
The memory of her lovely face

That I would conjure up when brave,
Then ache because we could not save
Nor salvage something at the end
Of love affair we could not mend.

My lovely lady of the lake
Her photograph I still do take,
But I don't freeze it in a frame;
No need; the lady's took my name!

And she’s a loving, living thing,
My wife, who wears her wedding ring,
In flesh and blood, and breathing air
Same goddess with the golden hair!