I wonder when I see a smile fading deep into your eyes,
What happenstance brings about that emotion, that response?
It is sometimes bright and sudden, sometimes soft and subtle,
But always rich in flavor, rich in texture and in essence.
Is it the culmination of some hard won achievement?
Perhaps the sudden reaping of some long sought after substance?
Possibly it’s something simple but only just now noticed,
Like the way a mother looks at the daughter that she kisses.
Perhaps it’s something common, often shared and treasured,
With family and with friends, in memories unending.
Is it the white capped waves, with the salt spray on your lips,
And the clear piercing light of the set sun gleaming?
Might it be a foreign land, the people strange and different
With regions yet discovered, uncharted and unmeasured
Or a garden just in bloom, whose blossoms face the sun
The brightness of their glory infusing all who see them.
Is it the newborn child, so soft, so small, so precious,
Whose charming face embodies, the joy of life and living?
May be it is the lover, who intimately holds,
The dear and hidden aspects of your undivided soul.
Or the trusted comrade, always fast in friendship,
The faithful partner with you on your many turns and travels.
Moments caught in space and time, lived and oft remembered,
They represent the valued things, we hold onto inside us,
And when brought to mind by chance, they cause a certain smile,
To slowly seep into the eyes, and lines about our faces.