I saw her strolling the beach, offshore breeze caressing each
glorious strand of sun-streaked long hair
Her slim form backlit just so in the soft, orange-red glow,
jasmine-like perfume wafting on summer air.
Aphrodite incarnate, I thought, Cleopatra, perhaps, or even Helen of Troy.
But what did I know, so filled with lascivious angst,
just a green teen, a fallow, callow boy.

She had a decade on me, it was plain to see,
a true lady I ventured to guess
I walked past her again, she smiled at me then,
knowing I was looking down her dress.
Embarrassed and contrite, I moved on, built a life,
a career of sorts, things weren’t so bad
As time went on I met many ladies, gained assurance, confidence and poise.
Yet in a tiny file drawer in the back of my mind, I wondered why, at times,
I didn't really enjoy my toys

A young man of substance, I became full of myself, knowing I had the world by the tail.
Running in a fast crowd, proclaiming long and loud,
I knew this and that too, so to hell with you
But as with Rome and Athens and Samarkand,
my dreams eventually turned to sand
and one morning I awakened to the smell of hell
and the street bum’s wail,
for I had spent the night full of fright in a dirty Mexican jail.

They took all my money, credit cards too, and I bummed a ride toward the Dago zoo
North of LaJolla I hitched again, thumb out, face a mess,
I stank, my clothing a sin.
A car stopped ahead and I loped out of breath, sweaty and half sick, but so grateful.
There She was, oh, my God, looking almost the same,
so fine, so cool, so elegant and warm.
But the look she turned on me up close became hateful.

She spun her wheels then, gravel assaulting my shins
and I stood and stammered out loud,
“No, wait!” I cried, “You don’t understand, I’m really not like this, I’m young and strong and proud.”
But she didn’t, couldn’t, wouldn’t hear, hitting the gas and changing gear.
My dream had been found, but now was outbound
Cruel Fate gave me a chance for one true romance,
but close doesn’t count, no matter how near.

Oh, beauteous maiden so fair, a Goddess beyond my stature, full of sweet laughter,
I will reserve a place within my heart and memory for you forever after.
Ah, my one true soul mate, I’ll always wonder
how someone so cool could be such a fool
and make such a terrible blunder