The Intrusion

"The Intrusion"

And when you caught my eye that day,

I found that I had naught to say,

Too many thoughts came tum’bling out,

Fumbling, falling, a whisper-shout,

Consonants clanged and clung to me,

Then vowels poured down, in some degree,

Though it was all inside my head,

My face flushed bright, a fiery red,

And still you sat there holding court,

Laughing merry, at some retort,

We all had come from far away,

To celebrate your special day,

Friends and family in gentle flow,

And me, the foreigner, in tow,

A friend of a friend drew me there,

So the table was short a chair,

You accepted my intrusion,

Rising to ban my exclusion,

Gave up your seat at the table,

Brought me in, as you are able,

Watching the smiles of your guests,

My first glimmer of your success,

Everyone knew that they were valued,

Your tenor rung out “Salude!”

As I leaned back against the door,

It felt like we were friends before,

That first glance up made me believe,

Hearts might be stolen, nimble thief,

You did not know that we would wed,

Then later you’d take me to your bed,

Share our hopes, our loves, our fears,

Over spans of eternal years,

All you knew was I looked alone,

So you brought me into your home,

Unfailingly kind is your creed,

The purest, gentlest, rarest breed,

I love you now like I did then,

When I did not know I was your friend,

I dared to dream it might work out,

Not knowing you’d become my spouse,

If I’d known then what I now know,

I might not have been so slow,

The messes, muddy tracks inside,

The hardships we have taken in stride,

Milestones and quiet nights,

The days when we learned fair fights,

These are the parts that make life good,

To know and be known, understood,

Here’s to the boy who could see a girl,

Not seeing herself yet in your world,

Pluck her from the sea of faces,

Banish loneliness to other places,

Not expecting any reward,

But a first smile of many more,

You own my heart, my body, and soul,

Together we make this world whole.