“Morning Has Broken”
I am waiting for her arrival
with sweaty palms
and head pounding
anticipation intensifying with every minute
mingled with desperate fear
What if...
something happened to the plane?
And the board flashes
FLIGHT 69 CANCELLED DUE TO...
What if...
I'm at the wrong gate,
or in the wrong terminal building?
And she's waiting on the other side
of the airport
and gives up on me!
What if... what if...
but I'm jolted to reality--
a plane is landing!
taxiing down the runway
to THIS gate
An eternity passes before people appear,
a sea of heads, unfamiliar faces,
I strain to see,
nothing, no one that matches
the image of her beauty etched in my mind--
What if she changed her plans?
And they page me to the phone
and I hear her say, trembling,
in a faraway voice,
"I just can't do this--"
I feel faint...
Suddenly,
as if in an elusive dream,
I see HER!
Our eyes meet, and
electricity sparks across the crowded room,
my heart skips a beat,
my ears are ringing,
Her smile,
more wonderful than I ever imagined,
draws us together
effortlessly--
She is HERE!
I struggle to catch my breath
Now we melt into each other's arms
and for a wild moment
the world stands still
Her touch, the feel of her warm, soft body
pressed close against my own,
even if for only a moment in the crowd
is ecstasy beyond belief!
A glorious long weekend lies ahead--
my mind is spinning
lips quiver
words frozen in midair
("Let's get the luggage.")
She squeezes my hand,
warmth surges through me
We are together
--at last!
--6/18/93
Newsweek, June 21, 1993