she sat there
with her hands piled
in carefully arranged
origami prayer folds
recalling gulls
resting on the banks
of the danube
as my eyes traced the lines
of her face
trying to read the map
that would lead me to her borders 
the umber tones
of her hair providing a contrast
and giving another warmth
to the marzipan skin
of her face
and i wondered
what it would be like
to hold that face in my hands
to smell the earthen of her hair
as she slept

those cheeks
freshly washed in a cold sink
as her family slept
her imagining of running free
through mountain forests
under the moon
and holding on to that thought
as she walked out of her house
before the doldrum
of everydayness
could make her common

and i sat and stared
not realizing
she was staring too
as her life ran to her cheeks
and her eyes darted away
as sparrows do at dusk 
i lowered my eyes
but not my gaze
and then saw the crook of her neck
the sweet spot
where it met her shoulder
the grace of her collarbone
and imagined
what it would smell like
when i kissed her there
just so
thought of how
those hands would feel
under mine
how her feet
would feel against mine
under flannel sheets
during those hours of dawn
that are unknown to many
but sacred treasure
to a select few
and thought of a great many other things
walking in thunderstorms
whispered meals
speaking gazes
and what a child might look like

and it was then i realized
that an act of passion
never crossed my thoughts
no lustful thrusts
no penthouse fantasies
not even a question
of what she might be like in bed
and new realization came to me
that anything like that
would have ruined this moment
and i think
i might finally understand
what is meant
by love at first sight