Hiiiii!!!!

I see in your eyes a new day, 

with the hope and the promise of spring.

Sun bursting with golden intentions.

Sky opens its lips to sing.

I feel in your hands a true strength,

that cannot be weakened by storm.

A spirit that cannot be broken. 

A heart that is cautious but warm.

I taste on your lips a fresh fruit,

devoured right down to the core. 

Sweetness and texture amazes,

as soon as I walk in the door.

I hear in your voice a small laugh,

a comfortable giggle so cute.

Thoughts and ideas so intriguing,

but mornings essentially mute.

A walk, a hike, a run, a bike with you.

A cuddled conversation in the eve.

In cold and snow or sunny skies so blue.

When I'm  with you I never want to leave.

I look upon your pretty eyes and smile,

and look upon a nature scene with you.

You hold my hand for just a little while,

and seize my heart with everything you do.

I hold you in the morning when you wake, 

and dream that I will never let you go,

But four alarms are more than I can take,

With only minutes left till morning row.

I pull the covers up above my head 

And dream you're still beside me in the bed.

The fear that I felt falling head over heels comes back to me now and again.

And I'm glad that it does 'cause it means that our love is so real it's the best that it's been.

We're approaching a test, but we've studied real long, in fact maybe over prepared.

And the fear that I felt when we first made the pact is now gone, I am no longer scared.

When you give me a hug and I look in your eyes, on this Earth, in the moment, we star.

And wherever we go I will always be home because home is wherever we are.

When I see a star above, I think about how far away,

It is and yet it gives us light

And beauty on a starry night.

Reminds me of my Laura love, for now she too is far away.

Apart but always in my heart

as it beats through the summer's day.

When Coffee meets Bagel...wait maybe that's wrong. 

When chickpea meets oatmeal! they'll both get along.

There's one who is strong...and another who's strong.

Chickpea can dance to the beat of a song.

But oatmeal cannot, his feet constantly stuttering. 

Watching her hips, his heart biasedly fluttering. 

Holding back words from his head so he's muttering

mostly nonsense 'cause he loves her just puttering

around in the kitchen when chopping and munching,

or coming home sweaty while oatmeal is brunching. 

She likely was out catching water while hunching,

or running for miles while constantly punching.

To oatmeal, the chickpea's best side is them all:

The hummus, garbanzo beans, hikes in the fall.

She likes to get going, at night hits the wall.

And oatmeal feels lucky to witness the stall.

This Christmas the call came to move far away.

The brain in my gut quickly told me to stay, 

but the brain in your head reasoned more logically 

and convinced me to think critically.

I know that you know that I've been stressing out,

And I hope that you know all I really care about -

at the end of the day, when it comes time to choose -

the only thing I'll ever choose is you.

If we had met at 18, I would have thought that you were weird.

You would have thought that I was crazy, looked at me and sneered.

We would have shared some classes if we went to the same school.

You would have thought that I was just an imbecilic fool.

But secretly I would have thought about you all the time.

Your weirdness with its hook in me, convinced that you're a dime.

I'd wait until the week before to ask you to the dance.

You'd be surprised but answer "yes, as long as you wear pants."

We'd have some fun together, as awkward as can be.

I'd drive you home and drop you off but want you secretly.

We'd go about our separate lives, the dance as a mirage.

(About a decade later Hamlin parks in your garage.)

I'm glad we're 36 now.

It's twice 18's delight.

We didn't meet in high school.

Our timing was just right.

So I toast you lovely lady that I'm proud to call my wife:

Happy Birthday little Lovebug! To another year of life!