Valentine Love for 2017
Who is it knocks upon my heart, assumes a welcome, and indeed…
Is more than welcome, yes, in fact, more likely satisfies a need…
A need for comfort, conversation, a need for smiles, a need for touch:
A need for silence shared together, a peace we humans crave so much.
How joyous are those early moments, a look that links across a room,
Two souls unknown to one another, a moment when connections bloom.
They may be lovers just discovered, they may be long or fleeting
friends.
Who knows where such a path may lead, whence it began, or where it
ends?
What are the joys that make life sparkle, as if conveyed by God
above?
They are as varied as the stars, yet each contains the stamp of love.
The mother who births a tiny babe, besotted by its helplessness,
Knows love that carries through a life of childhood angst and
naughtiness.
The father who builds a happy home, whose strength provides
security,
Becomes the compass for the child and family solidarity.
Lovers and friends we all acquire as swiftly we grow older:
Priceless, indeed, the blissfulness of willing arms and shoulder.
They turn a house into a home, a hum-drum day becomes delight:
Our loved ones broaden every smile, subdue the terrors of the night.
Sometimes the treasures of our lives include a special protégé;
Sometimes, whether there is chick or child, acquired family comes our
way.
And, let us not forget the joy of playful, trusting fuzzy faces,
Of ties to our ancestral homes, of yearned-for spots, of holy places.
The guileless, unconditional loves of pets, who welcome us back home,
Forgive our thoughtless absences, despite how long or far we roam.
And, love of home, that shelter sweet, our sacred, self-selected place,
The sweet relief of safe return, once more within our chosen space.
So, all that knock upon my heart, are gifts of love, unearned, yet
mine…
Each one unique and priceless, yes, each one a living Valentine.