Beautiful Women

I sit thinking deeply,
and as I do I shudder.
The more I think,
the more I shudder.
It began as a game,
a trick, a novelty of boredom.
Then, as I considered,
I realized the truth.

How many women of my life,
have been kind to me?
Generous?
Caring and nurturing?
How many women in my life,
sensed my soul,
felt my soul,
thought deeply of me?

How many women of my life,
Discovered me,
Encouraged me,
Scolded me?
Righted me?

How many women of my life,
Pleaded for me,
cried for me,
tried for me,
lied for me?

How many women of my life,
wanted me to be,
more than me,
and knew I could,
If I would.

Yet I sometimes hid,
and never did,
what they always knew
I really could do.

So many women of my life,
never gave up,
though I gave up on them.
So many women still find hope
in a graying man,
that ceased to believe,
he somehow can,
make something from nothing,

The nothing they see, in a man,
who somehow never did see,
"the real me".
Like so many women of my life,
they see it’s not nothing,
it’s something.
And though I gave up,
on so many women of my life,
so many women of my life,
never gave up on me.

And of all the women of my life,
no woman in my life,
ever gave more
than the woman who chose
to be
with me,
for the rest of my life,
no matter what,
I choose to be.

I am so thankful for
all the women in my life,
but of all the women of my life,
I am none more thankful for,
my beautiful loving wife.

I love you Beth.