Radiant Like A Bride Poem by Daleen Enslinstrydom

(to my husband Gert Strydom)

When the day ends like a lily that closes
and darkens like your hand before your eyes,
the moon appears as if it's shy
like a tortoise out of its shell,
and the stars flicker like candles
when you draw me near,
then the fragrance of gardenia
lingers in the air like a great perfume,
heavy but soft

and I snuggle against you
to find comfort in your arms,
where I am received like a flower in springtime,
when we become one in both body and thoughts
and when the morning breaks like a gift
new and exciting
and the rays of the sun heat up the corner of the room
it's a lazy and cosy feeling
and in your arms I feel like a woman
touched by her husband,
with the fragrance of gardenia still on the sheets
and you draw me into your arms
to tell me that I am your bride
and I want to open like a rose.
With the radiance of the morning still around us,
I feel pampered like a cat after a saucer of cream.