Silence is a golden burden.

Cross my heart and lock it tight;

Always hoping for the moment,

Always fearing that I might

Chance upon a meeting with you,

Fall immediat'ly at your feet..

Silence is a golden burden,

But a burden, oh, so sweet.

What would happen if I told you?

(Although I think that you know

Already what I'd say to you;

My poor heart is so aglow

Whenever I behold you that

It spills out into my eyes,

Choking my throat, tying my tongue,

Turning all my breath to sighs.)

Would you look at me and simply

Laugh at me and pat my head,

Patronizing girlish fancy?

Or, while wishing I were dead,

You'd turn away from me, sneering,

Disgusted with me. Although,

Maybe what I'm really fearing

Is completely opposite:

You would tell me "yes", and hold me,

And we'd never be apart.

Every little thing you told me

I'd keep close next to my heart.

I would tell you all my secrets;

From you, nothing would I hide.

My soul would be laid bare to you

Despite all I'd erstwhile tried.

But I know that our love so true

Would soon start to wane and fade;

And in silence once again, my

Broken heart would be remade.

If I wrote you a love letter,

Dearest mine, would you reply?

Ever wishing, ever hoping,

Hoping for an alibi.

I'll claim I'll be rejected now,

Or, if not, rejected then.

Truly better to love than lose,

I'll keep silent once again.

And I'll keep my golden burden,

Ever fearing for "what if?"

With my heart forever burning,

With my mask forever stiff.

And I sit and write love letters

Never meant for your sweet eyes,

Tie them tight with my broken heart

And set them safely aside

In some forgotten dresser drawer

Where they'll never see the light.

Silence is a golden burden;

Cross my heart and lock it tight.