My Mona Lisa
But I am not beyond your mysteries
"You can't understand a woman"
I've heard that one before
But your secret is no different
Than the secret of time, or space
Or the secret of life
Which you make, with me
When we two are one
Your secret is not in your face
Not from your deep, dark eyes
As unfathomable as any stretch of ocean
Not from your whisper-filled lips
That may contain many ecrets
(All of which I hope to hear)
And not, no, not even from your nose
Though how it succeeds in fitting you so perfectly
May mystify me
From time to time
Many spy the horizon
As they do when looking for other answers
They find your secret of life
They find your secret of time
(But not how you make so much time
For one as me)
They find your secret of space
(But not how you make so much space
For love of me)
But to discover why you smile
I will not search in typically masculine ways
For then I would fail
I search your heart, my darling
And find only that to a gentle touch
And to a warm tear
It is always open
I search your head, my love
And find such a puzzle inside
That no secret could be found
Even by you
And it is obvious by the tilt of your lips
And the glint of your airbrush eyes
That you know very well why you smile
So, finally, I search your soul
But only my soul can interpret yours
And they speak in languages
Far beyond our comprehension
So let us set our souls free
To wander, and wind their way
And intertwine
In the far reaches of the galaxy we share
And still you smile
My Mona Lisa
And still I am mystified
And so, I paint you
I draw you out onto paper
Every line, every curve, every shade
I draw not a photograph
For photographs have tried to capture
The secret of your smile
Tried, and failed
No, I draw a portrait
That is not perfect, and not flawless
Just like you
And so I stare at you
To find your features
To be the Columbus of this voyage
The first man to understand the secret
Of a woman's smile
Maybe you smile for me
Or maybe I am vain - you smile not for me
But for life, or for children
Or to look pretty, or for the poor
Or for money, or for the pink windowshades
In the background of the room
I am at the point of resigning myself
To be yet another puzzled prince
When I see you
Your lips and your eyes and your nose and all
Your secret, as grand
Yet as simple as the secret of life -
You smile because I wonder why you smile
Your secret is nothing more
Than the secret of knowing
That you do not have a secret
At least, no more than I do
And we will find each others' secrets
In time
My Mona Lisa
I know why you smile
And I smile too