that first Christmas, gifts were meager

the turkey was not exactly cooked to done

and the side dishes, well from this point

they were not exactly the masterpieces

i sit down to now

the tree was a bit misshapen

i surprised you with an angel for the top

all these years later, still there

carefully stored under her supervision

survivor of each child taught respect

it became a family ceremony 

the next tree had to be finished before returning

the blessing of what women hold precious

each child shared the honor 
of presenting the angel to their mother 
we called it reaching the age of reverence

decorations were a bit simpler, here and there
but true to the season, green and red

as i look out now at the Winter Wonderland

you have created this year
it is the nature of you to remain faithful
to the Spirit, Gift of the Magi
but the most wonderful part in this remembrance

there is something that has never changed

the gratefulness within my heart

when i gaze upon you

what greater honor is there in a man's life

that a gift you gave is held in perpetuity 

in her heart, as the angel mounts her position

she goes from the angel and into my eyes

wearing that Duchenne smile

every Christmas i am reminded

i could not wish for more than that moment
when angels acknowledge one another

3/1/19

rain at work is not the same

at home with you it is everything

weekend breakfasts of hot chocolate coffee

croissants stuffed with egg, bacon, cheese
baked hash brown pie, cheese, bacon, chilis, onions
then crisped in an iron skillet
monkey bread for dessert

watching you in the kitchen

i do not count utensils, pans, plates

i will wash, dry 

return to where they rest 

until you the sorceress

commands them forward

however, my favorite are sharing rainy days with you
the entryway closet housing walking gear
those Pooh and Piglet saunters in the rain
playing in puddles, best way to spend the day
she says, as we walk hand in hand

it is as if the Creator has spoken

unto this day you are bound to one another

rejoice in the love you have been given

these are the dearest remembrances

when i am at work, look out the window

watch the rain, hearing in its prater

the wind whispering your name

my heart longs for those arms

lips that hunger to crush yours

i rise from my desk, walk to the window

looking out at the storm my soul has one desire

to be lost with you in an afternoon nap

as the rain gently falls from the heavens
paradise enow

2/7/19

we purchased two cats in the beginning

one, who inclined to me, black, yellow eyes

one, gravitating to her, cream, blue eyes

we both had lost ours to age

soon after we met

it was one of those odd incidences

that comes with the melting of ones into a two

i remember her in the pet store

in a moment of tarrying before a caged parrot

the sadness of her face, her eyes

love should never be caged

harbor no fear, trust in you unquestionably

love is not demanding

a love without inhibitions to love

it is patient. kind, understanding

it bears, hopes, endures all things

seeks the truth, an ability to change direction

when steps have faltered into selfishness

these are the promises i saw in that face

few might understand my reasoning

of that, i care not

it is said by poets of old

the eyes are the windows to the soul

science finally caught up in realizing

the connection from the eyes

to the prefrontal cortex

science knows now 
the close proximity of one heart

may influence another 
poets have known this for centuries

in her eyes, i saw all of this

in her heart lived these qualities
an endless horizon of knowing

i saw forever in her

2/9/19

watching you walk across the room

is never a mundane daily vision

when we are together

are moments i cherish most

if i am on some errand

butter, milk or bread

there is not an aisle empty of you

not a single breath i take

or heartbeat

existing without you therein

as i walk in my quest

stopping now and then

to visit the gallery in my heart

to gaze upon you

where life has left me a portrait

working in the garden

crafting in your room 

bringing me your chocolate-coffee

you're kissing my wedding ring

and saying goodnight

the sorceress in the kitchen

my one moment of longing

is only when i reach for the unsalted butter

and in the door your reflection is absent

it is then i remember that first reflection

closing the door 

taking you into my arms

fulfilling the hunger in my lips for yours

it was when you fully understood

there would be moments within existence

when my universe holds only you

2/9/19

redolence is a word gravid in romance

let me explain my love

in the spirit of why does your chicken

leave my senses reeling in garlic

and fields of herbs

it means reminiscent of the day

remindful of you

suggestive of the love for you

i have carried this day

but in a world now gone by

it meant scented, fragrant with

it is the perfume of your hair

that i nestle in every night

as i begin my slow walk into slumber

the ambiance i carry throughout 

the long journey to dawn

2/9/19 

ReplyForward

the house is filled with flowers

the garden is in full bloom

the colors dance in a symmetry

each one a piano key

that she has orchestrated

each one a note in the symphony

her hands have created

and yet come Winter

one never has the feeling

there is an empty space in want

not even when Christmas has left

all the decorations are boxed, stored

her presence so fills my life

i could never ask for a modicum of addition

to the fulfillment of my forevermore

her presence

2/9/1

repetition is a child's delight

a part of rote learning 

i have come to appreciate

i write in repetitive images for a reason

they strengthen me in what is

my love for you

they constantly remind me of the path

i have chosen with you

what i must maintain

to ensure that path

the benches along that path

where at times i ponder

is this course correct

is this maybe selfishness within me

do i need to change a decision

do i need to be the strength

she needs to see herself

i have signed on for all the peccadillos

to walk on the greater path

hand in hand we have learned mathematics

division yields to subtraction

which garners addition into multiplication

which flowers the summation

rivers become a confluence

upon the same path

it is all i ever wanted

life with you hand in hand

2/10/19

the phone rings

i love you, she says

i love you, i respond

i will be a tad late tonight

some things i need, she says

would you like me to get them dear

i have a moment or two i can spare

i respond

i will text the list

sure you are not in the middle of something

she says, in that, i know you are writing

not at all and dear 

my Muse adores you, i respond

OK, see you when i get home, she says
the trials and tribulations of a poet
caught in a tennis match
that are the women in his life
volley after volley in an exchange
across the net, in a game of dueling loves
i so adore, my wife, my Muse

the gods must surely adore me

2/10/19

this is the season of change

March is a period of transition

already you are in preparation

for the rains of April

this time of year begins the pastels

the loveliest of colors adorning you

my favorite is the powder blue

altho yellows do you well 

lavender steals my breath

the light green becomes a garden nymph

all dance in memories of children dying eggs

working hand in hand we did the rabbit well

there were times i must admit

thinking i had married Mother Earth

yet my heart knows the truth

i married a woman 

who made the colors come alive

from the shadows in my life

who made the moon dance to a waltz

who made vegetables palatable

who made my life heaven on Earth

who made me realize

i am because of who you are

3/2/19