or at the least
a full-on smile
from someone
serious as me
known to be
a bit slow on the uptake
often caught
thinking dark thoughts
of global warming
or violence in Somalia
closer to home
it's those unanswered emails
tasks set aside and promises
long overdue
my wife cuts through it all
she wants a smile
both for herself
and for the photo
I've requested
without a moment's thought
she deftly pulls
her shirt over her head
and stands there posing
like a naughty schoolgirl
naked from the waist up
so many years
we've slept together
and still that's all it takes
to shake me loose
of any thoughts
and leave me
as if spellbound
laughing helplessly
for just a moment
and then smiling
with delight
and gratitude for the wisdom
and the whimsy
that she brings
to this alchemy
this work of making magic
from the stuff
of daily life
my unmatched companion
teacher lover friend
beloved wife