What was I thinking when I placed that ad,

“man seeking woman.” Was I going mad?

I never did a thing like that before,

but suddenly I opened up the door

I’d closed and hung myself out on the line,

my heart flapping in the wind like a sign

someone might see and wonder who’s this guy

reaching out for a woman passing by,

someone curious, also reaching out

like me, unsure, alone, filled with doubt,

yet listening to the urge to say hello

and wander into someone’s life and follow

that whispering where ever it might lead.

It’s strange to write and have a woman read

your words and answer and take a chance

that you and she might meet and find romance

and somehow click and find your history

has brought you to this place, this mystery

that no one can explain of meeting

in this random way and know that beating

in your heart that makes you young again.

It’s strange to have your words returned and then

bit by bit respond and know you’re not alone

with this longing and so you throw a stone

at each other’s window, lifting the shade,

letting in the light, trying not to be afraid,

wondering if you’ll feel regret or that surprise

of loving what you see in each other’s eyes.