1994 This Woman to This Man

A boy, bat in hand, whistles down the street,
A girl giggles -- for no particular reason.
What happens to that whistle, that giggle?

My laughter, not dammed up, stills spills out.
No one is surprised.

But what softens your heart,
Lets years of "gotta be tough'' surrender,
Neck bared, belly exposed,
Long-stored yearnings unpacked,
Placed on a table, gazed at.

Will you become a grizzled old man
Pain
Or nothing in your eyes?
Not even sure what you missed,
But never feeling as whole
As in the memory of child's play.

Let my tender eyes nurse you,
My listening ears give each thought,
Each word, the courage to live.

Show me your carefree boy,
Your confident teen,
Your care-worn man.
I want all of you, Man to Woman.