When a Woman Loves a Man

    by David Lehman

    When she says margarita she means daiquiri.

    When she says quixotic she means mercurial.

    And when she says， "I'll never speak to you again，"

    she means， "Put your arms around me from behind

    as I stand disconsolate at the window."

    He's supposed to know that.

    When a man loves a woman he is in New York and she is in Virginia

    or he is in Boston， writing， and she is in New York， reading，

    or she is wearing a sweater and sunglasses in Balboa Park and he

    is raking leaves in Ithaca

    or he is driving to East Hampton and she is standing disconsolate

    at the window overlooking the bay

    where a regatta of many-colored sails is going on

    while he is stuck in traffic on the Long Island Expressway.

    When a woman loves a man it is one ten in the morning

    she is asleep he is watching the ball scores and eating pretzels

    drinking lemonade

    and two hours later he wakes up and staggers into bed

    where she remains asleep and very warm.

    When she says tomorrow she means in three or four weeks.

    When she says， "We're talking about me now，"

    he stops talking. Her best friend comes over and says，

    "Did somebody die？"

    When a woman loves a man， they have gone

    to swim naked in the stream

    on a glorious July day

    with the sound of the waterfall like a chuckle

    of water rushing over smooth rocks，

    and there is nothing alien in the universe.

    Ripe apples fall about them.

    What else can they do but eat？

    When he says， "Ours is a transitional era，"

    "that's very original of you，" she replies，

    dry as the martini he is sipping.

    They fight all the time

    It's fun

    What do I owe you？

    Let's start with an apology

    Ok， I'm sorry， you dickhead.

    A sign is held up saying "Laughter."

    It's a silent picture.

    "I've been fucked without a kiss，" she says，

    "and you can quote me on that，"

    which sounds great in an English accent.

    One year they broke up seven times and threatened to do it

    another nine times.

    When a woman loves a man， she wants him to meet her at the

    airport in a foreign country with a jeep.

    When a man loves a woman he's there. He doesn't complain that

    she's two hours late

    and there's nothing in the refrigerator.

    When a woman loves a man， she wants to stay awake.

    She's like a child crying

    at nightfall because she didn't want the day to end.

    When a man loves a woman， he watches her sleep， thinking：

    as midnight to the moon is sleep to the beloved.

    A thousand fireflies wink at him.

    The frogs sound like the string section

    of the orchestra warming up.

    The stars dangle down like earrings the shape of grapes.