She was in love
With old books.
She was in love with
The way they smelled
As she flipped the pages
And felt the air hit her face.
She was in love with
The rough texture
Of the paper worn over time.
She was in love with
The yellowed tint of the pages
And the crumple of water spots.
She was in love with
The broken and tattered
Binding that crinkled
When you touched it.
But most of all,
She was in love with
The stories that not only
The words written in them held
But the stories behind each
Coffee stain and torn corner.
The idea that this book
Had connected with
So many other people
Enchanted her,
And she wondered if
Maybe she wasn't as
Strange and odd
As people told her.
And she thought that just
Maybe she wasn't as
Alone as she felt.

What is love, someone asked me once,
Love is not when she is perfection.
Love is when she's ordinary, flawed,
And you accept her, flaws and all,
Because they make the perfection
That is her.

I met you that hot summer day
On the side of the road,
Selling produce in the middle of nowhere:
With that strawberry blonde hair
And those adorable freckles.

You were my strawberry boy.
I always loved the taste
but hated the fruit.
But I would but five thousand
Just to see you again.

In 1988 we moved to a very small town in South Texas.   It took us a while to get use to. My parents finally trusted my brother and I to venture out alone in this small town.  So here we go!  On our bikes we zipped down the dirt road and finally made it to a paved road.  The road was fresh with new asphalt and gravel. I could see bubbles of tar expand in the heat. They would pop as we would run over them.  We soon found ourselves at the town V.F.W building.  Behind it was a small lake.  My brother and I couldn't wait to explore all the new found trails.  One Saturday morning we took it upon ourselves to do just that. At the back of the lake was a small water fall! It was so full of wonder!  The water that fell formed a small clear pool below. A small clear stream ran slowly away from the pool.  We went further into the woods where the trails no longer guided us.  We discovered that this small lake was being fed by a creek that ran from the East side of town.  We could see the fish below the clear water creek. We then came upon a grassless area filled with dead leaves.  It reminded us of the fall in the youngest of summers.  The trees seem to block out most of the sunlight.  Only through the cracks in the dancing leaves would the sun dance under the shadow.  Most all the trees look the same.  All but one.  At the center of all shadow was a huge, thick, dark barked tree that seem to be the overseer of this place.  It was not very tall but rather very wide and thick.  It look like something out of a haunted forest.  It had very few leaves.  The leaves themselves seem to almost glow in the shadow.  We then saw strange animals that were not native to the area.  They all seem to disappear within the tree almost becoming a part of it.  We then hurried back home to show our Father what we had found.  The next day we took him out only to discover the tree was gone.  No sign of it whatsoever.  My brother and I swore to him that we had found it!  I am now a man myself and every now and again I venture out to that location.   I think one day I will see it again.

I can count to ten now
wanna see?
1 precious daughter from above
2 eyes that catch my gaze
3 handwritten letters I read most every day
4ever sounds kinda nice
5 hours total we've spent together
6 strings on the guitar I play for you
7 surgeries I waited to hear if you were ok
8 at night till 6 in the morning
9 simple songs I wrote about you
10 hour long phone calls
But you taught me more than math
You taught about love

I fall in love everyday.
Either on the bus,
Or on the subway.