It was way his mind always remembered, choiced landmark in time and reference of a life: she in the wild, summer dress, free and embodiment of season’s spirit; stripe of tan over shoulder tops in widen and spread in fall to front, full sight in hide under cover of the dress; the freckles of her skin where sunlight touched, tanned, and drew richness forth from winter’s fair and hide; flaxen and weave of straw sunhat, its brim wide in shade; her hair loose and catching in the wind; vast and openness of place, vast and openness of heart yet mystery and wonder still alive in all he freely felt and seen; the shift of her dress as she walked in the world, wind’s press and show to figure’s form, allude to whole beauty beneath; high of the sun, a shadowless sky, as life and green of all surrounding drew to her as focal essence. Life and green drew to she in gown and wind pressed and painted show through earth-toned dress in blend of brown and scarlet blaze as sumac in September.
Her share of the moment, her share of the spirit; his own become, like life and green, drawn to essence and being.
He kissed her face under straw-hat shade, brim raised to find and attain her lips. Her body, in their kiss, drawn closer into his.
Warmth of the sun, perfect of light, his hands rising on her sides; finger-hook of dress straps thin over shoulders, outward draw over and off from arms; down-pressing of her dress, greater show and paint of sun-lined spread, fair and delicate of her wonder over beauty saved beneath. Deeper kiss, stronger tongue, speed-flicker race of encourage and eager.
His hands to her. Her hands to him—wild losing of an innocence.
All their years, all their life, he saw her still this way. Through the children that came, through the children that went—grandchildren that returned to humble of oaken home hidden in stand amongst the trees for the magic of evening shade where light and shadows danced.
In the twilight of his life, when he sensed spirits as the sun—in the dance of light and shadow seen as magic in sunfall through the trees—he loved her still as then: eternal awe of first and forever love.