It's not so much that you hadn't aged
Or that I didn't notice it
I only wished I'd been there to witness
The changes
How time rearranged the subtle glow
Of your beauty
Replaced with something profound
The marking of experience
Eyes looking for innocence
Seldom finding it anywhere
But your smile was still real
Genuine, authentic
Not a trace of a lie on those lips
A much younger man would not have seen it
A secret
Precious few can keep it
You looked enchanting to me
Never too old we grew together
Cast in a Bogart-Bacall romance
Fated to last but for one evening
One electric night to compensate
For too many years to count
When you pulled me down to receive your kiss
They all shrank into a moment
In which I experienced each and every second
The gloss spread on your lips
A taste I can recall from memory even now
Sweet, a hint of spearmint and alcohol
Such a lucid thought
Brings this old tin man to life