Never let her know
the poems were all written for her.
That’ll freak her out.
You think she’ll think it’s sweet
but I know:
she’ll think it’s creepy.

Maybe you can parcel them out
little by little
if things go well
with you guys.
If it goes on long enough
you can stretch back
and show her some of the earlier things
when you were new
or before you were two
and you were watching her
from across a room
sighing and replying to questions
she hadn’t yet asked.

Tell her,
“I wrote this one about you
when you smiled that special way”
or “I saw you look at that turtle once
and it inspired me.”
Maybe one at a time
like that.

But
please – trust me, now –
do not unload your canon on her
all at once
in one big burst.
It’ll be too much.
It will not serve your cause.
It will not do you good.
Hold those cards close to your chest
even while you are holding her close

And if you feel you have to admit
that you have written all those words for her
just keep quiet a little longer
because probably
if you think about it
she already knows.