Smile

I stand exposed, my heart in my hands
wrapped tightly in a cage of fingers
I want to open my hands to let it go
But those fingers are all that protect me
even as they hold me back, close me in
But then she smiles and the smile lights her eyes
and her smile loosens my fingers
and I let my heart go and for a moment it falls
before she catches it and holds it tight

I sit in the rain, cold and alone
The world is dark, no one at home
As the darkness presses in, my mind reels
Thought and feeling, spinning and looping
Off balance, I look for an answer
But then she smiles and the smile lights her eyes
and the smile is mine, it's just for me
a smile she smiles for no other
the shape of it is like a warm embrace
its bright light fills my world
 
I lie in bed, heavy blankets cover me
I can feel her in my arms
Our bodies touch, warm together
the smell of her hair fills my senses
We speak of things easy and mundane
But then she smiles and the smile lights her eyes
and I can't see it but I can feel it on my skin
the light flutter of an eyelash on my forearm
her cheek creasing on my bicep
and the ordinary becomes extraordinary

More than the home we've created
More than the family we've built
More than kisses and caresses
It is in her smile I see my future
It is in her smile I feel most protected
It is in her smile I am most at peace