roses are red, poems are read

In truth, this Valentines day has been just like the day before, and I anticipate, will be quite similar to the day I will have tomorrow. I'm not complaining or bemoaning the state of affairs. Dan and I exchanged gifts earlier this week (two more years of RealSimple. My not so subtle hints took hold!) and are going out to dinner this weekend. We enjoyed a simple night in and took in yet another exhilerating episode of Lost. I don't mind Valentines Day...as I lovingly remind Dan, Valentines Day likely single-handedly paid for my education and childhood. (And that other Hallmark inspired holiday -- Mother's Day.) Still. I like simple, heartfelt gestures and I felt that I missed the boat on partaking in some this year. I'll have to be more creative in the month's to come.

As I was driving I listened to a story on NPR interviewing Ted Kooser -- a former poet laureate. He used to write valentine poems and mail them to women (his wife is incredibly good natured). He recently collected the numerous Valentine Poems that he wrote over the years and published them in a volume. He shared one of my favorites and, if you are reading this far away, let it serve as my Valentine's wish to you -- to share in your company and share what you mean to me. He was inspired by a friend who was trying to get a girl to notice him, so he kept slipping flirtatious pieces of paper in her sweater pockets when she wasn't looking.

"Pocket Poem"
If this comes creased and creased again and soiled

as if I'd opened it a thousand times

to see if what I'd written here was right,

it's all because I looked too long for you

to put it in your pocket. Midnight says

the little gifts of loneliness come wrapped

by nervous fingers. What I wanted this

to say was that I want to be so close

that when you find it, it is warm from me.