I give you love
in the muted shades of sunset passing,
in its beauty unsurpassed;
in the cawing blackness of crows in flight,
in their less than perfect gabbing;
in the night songs of creatures unseen,
in their lullabies for the world;
in the musty smell of antique bookstores,
in their unending stashes of knowledge;
in the muddy waters of southern rivers,
in their depths unknown;
in word-processed letters,
in their instant reformations;
in jagged-edged poems,
in their quick-cutting sharpness.
In all this and more,
I give you love.

Valentine Pierce
from her book Geometry of the Heart
Portals Press, 2007

Used with permission of the poet.