First there is the way she looks;
ok, be all smart and mature
but when you saw her the first time
something in you changed and you know it.
Then there’s what she is
which if that doesn’t humble you
down to your hairless shins
you might as well go back
to grazing with the cows.
Then there’s who
which takes a long time
though some men will say it doesn’t
as they are prone to lie,
for the real “seeing” of a woman
is years in the making,
just glimpses now and then
until one day you notice her
in her everyday coat,
arms crossed against the wind
and you know God’s blessed you
in a way none of your maneuvering
could have deserved and won’t again
so some part of you settles in
for the long haul
that every cheap bar song
moans about as love.