A Poem for Newlyweds

I LOVE YOU

IT'S SIMPLY SAID

AND ALL THE OTHER WORDS I'VE USED

BOILS DOWN TO THIS

I LOVE YOU

I'VE OFTEN WISHED

I COULD SAY IT ONCE WELL

WITH ALL THE MAJESTY OF LANGUAGE

TO TELL IT ONCE WELL

AND BE DONE WITH THE TELLING

BUT IT SEEMS LOVE NEEDS TELLING

IT ENJOYS THE TELLING

BUT WHY ONLY ONE WORD

FOR I LOVE SUNSETS AND SWEET WINE

LONG COUNTRY WALKS AND DOG'S COLD MUZZLE

FRIEND'S EASY LAUGHTER OR GROANS FOR MY JOKES

A MAN'S HANDSHAKE WHEN MY FINGERS HURT

THE SAME STRENGTH IN A WOMAN'S EYES

DOES EACH NEW THING I LOVE

PREPARE MY HEART

TO LOVE THE NEXT THING BETTER

DOES EACH NEW LOVE EXPAND MY HEART

IS THIS WHY THEN

WITH ONE SMALL WORD

THE UNIVERSE IS TOLD

IS THIS WHY THEN

WITH ALL THE BURNING IN MY HEART

TO HAVE IT SAID IN WORDS IMMORTAL

IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO THIS

I LOVE YOU

frank a vollmer