Love At First Sight 1961 Poem by Terry Collett

You never realized eyes
could smile like hers did,
and that she could smile
in such a way
as to make smiling
a gift of God.

You sat by a window seat
on the school coach
that first morning
a new boy at a new school
and she there at the front
eyeing you and smiling that smile
and you gazed out the window
at the passing views
trees in fields
birds flying overhead
cows in passing fields
eating grass or staring
at the coach driving past.

You looked up
and she was still eyeing you
and her smile still there
and you looked away
and felt something odd
open within you
and felt self conscious
as if the whole world
was in on it
and the eyes of each
and every kid on the coach
was aware of her eyes and smile
but none seemed to notice
or care if they did.

Just you and her eyes
and that smile
and you opening up
and becoming undone
like some poor sod
stripped naked
under a hot sun.