I glean for I cannot state or witness

how lovely this creature is

with her long locks of raven hair

tresses with the brilliance of silk

they shine and bounce with her smile,

exquisite the way it

highlights and enhances her natural

beauty

I can only glean what she has on her mind

either I can hope someday it will be me

or I can take the action

to do

more

than glean.

Palms sweat as my feet

bring me closer to her

I hyper

ventilate but

control barely returns

I feebly clear my throat and she turns

my way

I am stunned speechless!

Seraphs of heaven!

She's more beautiful than I ever...

"Uh....hi."

her voice is a measured timbre

as if an angel was speaking with tones of

radiant melodies

I clear my throat

summoning up my confidence

in order to say the first thing

that enters the incalculable fray

I call my comprehension

to utter the phrase "Hello."

But instead three words come out,

and I go white as a sheet,

awash with embarrassment!

Her friends laugh out loud behind her,

one of them tugs her away...

off she goes...with them.

my head and heart sink as I shuffle away,

dejected and miserable

why did I say that? Stupid stupid stupid!

Hours later after drowning my sorrows in a milk shake,

there is a message on my laptop.

Its from...her?

It is. I hover over the read button....

and with a deep steadying breath,

I click.

It reads:

No one's said that to me in years. Brave. Very brave.

I cant respond to that in kind right now, but if you're up for it, I'd like to go for a cup of coffee.

sincerely,
Her.

I smile, overjoyed and write her back.

years pass.

coffe becomes courting becomes

meeting her friends becomes

meeting her family becomes

falling in love with her

even more as the years roll by.

I'm standing at a pulpit in a tuxedo, holding her hands, adjacent to a holy man.

Hours later we are alone in the honeymoon suite.

Her head is on my chest and its been a long day.

We're lounging on the couch for now.

We'll retire to bed later, but all is contentment.

Still as beautiful as ever

with her disheveled hair and

white wedding gown on, her head picks up to look at me.

"It's time to respond now..." she says.

I give her a puzzled stare.

"...to the first words you said to me when we met those years ago."

After a glorious consummation with her leading me into the bedroom,

after hours of wonderful time spent making love,

both gently, and a few times more luridly,

she lays in my arms.

Im beyond content when she utters her response to me from

all those years ago.

"I love you too."

Our eyes close and my last thought is that I could die here,

but to live with her as the years go by is much more preferable.

I no longer need to dream, or glean.

Reality is good enough.

thanks for the glowing review